“Made a Mistake” – Controversial Decision Strikes Nurmagomedov Camp as Henry Cejudo’s Split Loss Called Out By Khabib ’s Cousin Minutes After UFC 288

UFC 288 promised a thrilling main event, and it definitely delivered it. The PPV held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey had former champion Henry Cejudo take on the current bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling. Fans eagerly awaited this fight as it was Cejudo’s return to MMA after nearly 3 years.

The fight was in no way disappointing for the fans, but the result could have been for some. Both Sterling and Cejudo put up an excellent performance, landing powerful strikes and showcasing exceptional wrestling throughout the fight. In the end, Sterling inched out the victory via a split decision. Despite, the judges awarding the win to Sterling, a notable member of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s entourage disagreed with the decision.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camp does not agree with the decision

Controversial decisions have been a curse to the UFC bantamweight division. From Sterling vs Yan at UFC 273 to O’Malley vs Yan at UFC 280, there have been numerous split decisions that have created controversies. This is exactly what happened here. Many fans, analysts, and fellow fighters believed it was Cejudo that deserved the victory.

One of the many fighters with this belief is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov is a bantamweight fighter who made his UFC debut in 2022. He currently sits at #11 in the bantamweight rankings. Minutes after the fight, Nurmagomedov took to Twitter to express his disagreement with the judges at UFC 288’s main event. “Made a mistake”, the Dagestani fighter tweeted, referring to the judges’ decision of the Sterling vs Cejudo fight.

Read More – Aljamain Sterling Issues a 4-Word Warning to His Rival Henry Cejudo Ahead of Their Fight at UFC 288

Judges Derek Cleary and Eric Colon scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Sterling. Whereas the third judge, Michael Bell, scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Sterling. The drama didn’t end there as post-fight antics ensued between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley.

Sean O’Malley causes havoc in the octagon after Aljamain Sterling secured the win

After his win, as Sterling was talking to Joe Rogan in the post-fight interview, ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley walked into the cage. The #2 ranked bantamweight O’Malley squared off against Sterling, as the two men spat barbs. Sterling’s teammate, Merab Dvalishvili, was also present in the cage.

Things got intense in the cage between the two as they faced off. “You better look better than that”, O’Malley said to the bantamweight champ. Sterling, on the other hand, accused O’Malley of ducking a title shot against him.

Between all this, Dvalishvili took away the jacket O’Malley was wearing. Fortunately, security stepped in to prevent any kind of altercation between O’Malley and Dvalishvili as they separated everyone.

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Who do you think deserved the victory in UFC 288’s main event battle? Do let us know in the comments below.