Biggest robberies/controversial desicions in title fights?

Yeah, this.

I don't think MMA fans really know what a robbery is.
They don’t. Then they’ll go to a site posting media scores and think it proves something.
The media are as qualified as we are.
But if the same site posts scores opposing their opinion, it’s just media.
Good ole sherdog.
 
They don’t. Then they’ll go to a site posting media scores and think it proves something.
The media are as qualified as we are.
But if the same site posts scores opposing their opinion, it’s just media.
Good ole sherdog.

The vast majority of "robbery" threads I see are super close fights. Even if every media outlet gives it to a single guy, it's still a close fight. Definitely some decisions I think are bullshit, but it's surprisingly rare to see a true robbery in modern MMA. The judging itself is so nebulous (and why I think we need to see more 10-8 rounds) that most people will value being on top and disregard an aggressive fighter on the bottom. Or so many people who will give a whole round to a dude who eats jabs all round but lands one good shot.

MMA judging is the wild west.
 
BJ-Frankie 1 is the robbery that doesn't get mentioned enough. Usually it's the champion who benefits from bad decisions. But to have a champion stripped of his belt via a bad decision is particularly egregious.

BJ clearly won the first 3 rounds: he "controlled the center of the Octagon," stuffed 12 of 13 takedown attempts (the one takedown Frankie landed lasted exactly 3 seconds), landed more strikes in each of the first 3 rounds, and was inarguably a more powerful striker. If landing more shots, landing harder shots, and controlling the Octagon doesn't win a round, I'm not sure what does. In fact, an argument could also be made that BJ won the 4th round.
 
Biggest robberies/controversial desicions in UFC title fights ? I don't remember too much rn, help me out?

The ones I can remember so far are: Reyes vs Jones, Santos vs Jones, Shevchenko vs Nunes, GSP vs Hendrics, DJ vs Cejudo, etc...

Fun fact: All those desicions went to the champ, except with DJ vs Cejudo (and that's because they DJ wasn't a draw).

You can clearly see how the UFC was playing its cards, giving it to the biggest names/potential draws.

A lot of people talk about the boxing mafia but they don't say anything about the UFC mafia, and I'm not even a boxing fan but that's what it is.

The only time Dana White complained about one of those desicions was with GSP and Hendricks and that was only because GSP retired after that fight and Dana was angry af. With Reyes vs Jones, Dana just said "who gives a sh7t?" (I'm now Jones is throwing him under the bus, KARMA)
Long ago in boxing especially the phrase “to be the champ you have to beat the champ” referred to all decisions would go to the champ.
you had to have a ko (and in mma it would be sub or Ko) to be the new champ.

A champion must defend his title. Some think that not getting stopped and defending is what the champ should do instead of going for the kill like a new challenger should.
 
This was the worst ref call in a title fight I can think of.
Hughes Newton 1

hughes_large_large.jpg
 
I was surprised that Hendo lost to Bisping in their second fight (which was a title fight btw).

British judges...

Bisping might have had a slightly higher landed strikes output but hendo had the only takedown of the fight and did vastly more damage.

Bisping had a lot of fights he won that he should have lost....

Aevjyen.jpg
 
This was the worst ref call in a title fight I can think of.
Hughes Newton 1

hughes_large_large.jpg

What was the ref supposed to do though? Both guys were out and Hughes came to first while Newton was still out.

Besides Newton got a rematch and got smoked.
 
What was the ref supposed to do though? Both guys were out and Hughes came to first while Newton was still out.

Besides Newton got a rematch and got smoked.
Hughes went out first. Hughes going out is what caused newton to go out because Hughes fell.

then they woke Hughes up to tell him he won.

fucked up.
 
I need to rewatch penn vs Edgar 1. Never rewatched the fight
 
Hughes went out first. Hughes going out is what caused newton to go out because Hughes fell.

then they woke Hughes up to tell him he won.

fucked up.

Yes I recall the sequence of events, watched it live in fact but I'm not sure how the ref could see that. Newton was pinned up against the fence and you couldn't see Hughes' face. Big John was the ref and at the time he was pretty much the best MMA ref on the planet. Hughes had his arms locked up in Newton's as well. His arms didn't drop or sag.

ECrau38.jpg
 
Yes I recall the sequence of events, watched it live in fact but I'm not sure how the ref could see that. Newton was pinned up against the fence and you couldn't see Hughes' face. Big John was the ref and at the time he was pretty much the best MMA ref on the planet. Hughes had his arms locked up in Newton's as well. His arms didn't drop or sag.

ECrau38.jpg

How could you not notice that Hughes fell to his left without putting any force or effort into the "slam"? How did he go out? He asked what happened because he was choked out and fell. Clear as day. Ref checked on Newton first, had he checked on Hughes first, and still.
 
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Yes I recall the sequence of events, watched it live in fact but I'm not sure how the ref could see that. Newton was pinned up against the fence and you couldn't see Hughes' face. Big John was the ref and at the time he was pretty much the best MMA ref on the planet. Hughes had his arms locked up in Newton's as well. His arms didn't drop or sag.

ECrau38.jpg
McCarthy was also a Hughes fan boi also.
Woke his boy up to tell him he won.
 
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