UFC Abu Dhabi events just can’t seem to dodge controversy. The Max Holloway vs. Ilia Topuria card kicked off with drama right from the opening fight between Rinat Fakhretdinov and late replacement Carlos Leal. The Brazilian fighter seemed poised for a major upset, defended takedowns, and dominated striking exchanges. But the results left fans stunned.
Talking about the decision all the judges had differing opinions: Mike Bell scored rounds one and three for Fakhretdinov, Hadi Mohamed Ali awarded him all three rounds, while David Lethaby gave rounds two and three to the fighter who hasn’t lost since 2014. Meanwhile, fans remained unconvinced, insisting that it wasn’t Fakhretdinov but Leal who deserved to be the real winner.
One fan commented that, despite rooting for Fakhretdinov, he didn’t agree with the decision that he won the fight.
A fan said his heart goes out to Carlos Leal.
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Meanwhile, one fan subtly threw shade, saying it was just what he’d expect from an Abu Dhabi event.
Meanwhile, some fans called the fight a complete robbery.
The confusion wasn’t limited to the fans; the commentary team was equally baffled.
Rinat Fakhretdinov Calls Out UFC 308 Commentators Daniel Cormier and Others
At the UFC 308 post-fight press conference, a reporter addressed Fakhretdinov’s performance, highlighting that the commentary team thought he had won a few rounds. He expressed that commentators were confused about the scoring, particularly the 30-27 decision that went to Fakhretdinov.
Rinat Fakhretdinov reacted by expressing his frustration with the commentary team, labeling it as “bad commentary.” When discussing the reporters’ comments, he noted that while the fight was close and could have gone either way, he had no doubt about the second and third rounds.
Adding to that, he also mentioned that such remarks might prompt people to claim that the decision was swayed by the judges’ nationality. Meanwhile, it’ll be interesting to see if the decision will be different this time, just like it was in previous controversial fights.
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