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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

What would the kookiest year in combat sports be without a little controversy?

Around this time last year, I made the argument that MMA judging isn’t as bad as it’s chalked up to be, and I stand by that. However (and this is a big however), we can’t talk about the state of scoring 2023 without mentioning two of the most widely discussed title fight outcomes of the year: the Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko rematch, and Henry Cejudo’s comeback fight against Aljamain Sterling.

Both championship contests were standout displays of martial arts that looked to be close matchups on paper and were even closer in practice. In the end, Grasso and Sterling retained their titles, but fans and media were perplexed at the decisions when they had the chance to scrutinize the scorecards.

Let’s start with Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2, which headlined Noche UFC.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Grasso entered the Sept. 16 Fight Night card with gold around her waist after a stunning fourth-round submission of Shevchenko six months earlier, a finish that was unanimously voted MMA Fighting’s 2023 Submission of the Year. The fight-ending choke came about after Shevchenko whiffed on a spin kick, which added to the rematch’s intrigue. Had we witnessed a passing of the torch or was Shevchenko simply the victim of a self-inflicted wound for the ages?

After a highly competitive five rounds, anyone watching would agree that Grasso was a worthy champion and that Shevchenko hadn’t lost a step. The only question was whether the judges felt Grasso did enough to come out on top in her first title defense.

According to the scorecards, Shevchenko was up 39-37 on two of the judges’ cards going into Round 5. As long as Shevchenko wasn’t finished, there was a good chance she’d leave Las Vegas as the champion once again. Then again, there was also the possibility of a wacky 10-8 giving us a completely unexpected result and that’s what happened, as judge Mike Bell broke out that score for Grasso resulting in a split draw rather than a split nod in Shevchenko’s favor. Instead of providing fans with closure, Bell’s card raised more questions.

Personally, I scored the fight 48-47 for Grasso giving her the second, third, and fourth rounds, so I have had no issue with Grasso retaining. I do take issue with the 10-8 score. While Grasso clearly won the final round (once again capitalizing on a Shevchenko mistake to end the fight in dominant position), I didn’t see enough damage nor did I feel that Grasso came near enough to a finish to merit more than a 10-9. If anything, the sequence where Grasso knocked Shevchenko down in Round 2 and followed up with strikes was more impactful than the close of Round 5, making the inconsistency of Bell’s score even more glaring.

To be clear, I don’t officially consider this fight to be a robbery because it’s easy to score the middle three rounds for Grasso and still sleep easily. However (there’s that word again), based on how the fight had been scored after the first 20 minutes, it is near impossible to justify Shevchenko not regaining her title.

This is why we’re likely headed to a trilogy bout and why Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot are fighting each other just to stay busy.

Now, let’s talk about Sterling and Cejudo.

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Coming off of a three-year retirement, Cejudo gave Sterling everything he could handle for five rounds, reminding everyone why he was one the most hyped MMA prospects ever and one of combat sports’ most accomplished champions. Sterling didn’t roll over for him either and he eventually went on to notch the third successful defense of one of the stranger title runs in recent memory.

Like Grasso vs. Shevchenko, it’s the scoring in the fifth round that raised a few eyebrows, with Sterling earning a lone 10-9 from Derek Cleary to escape with a narrow split decision win (judge Eric Colon scored Round 5 for Cejudo, but had already logged a trio of 10-9 scores in Sterling’s favor).

On first viewing, I scored the fight for Sterling, giving him Rounds 1, 3, and 4, though I’d be lying to you if I said I was confident that the champion was ahead going into Round 5, which I had 10-9 for Cejudo. I remember thinking that Sterling took his foot off the gas in the final five minutes, but after watching that last round again, it’s closer than you’d think. Cejudo scoring a late takedown might have shifted public opinion even though it shouldn’t as it led to no significant offense.

If you care about stats — helpful when we’re talking about a fight that featured several difficult-to-judge exchanges — Cejudo narrowly out-struck Sterling in Round 5, but Sterling had the advantage in head strikes 13-8. Again, it was close!

So I can’t be too hard on Cleary for his fifth-round score, even if it looked egregious and costly in the moment. That’s likely of little comfort to Cejudo, who will always wonder if his comeback would have ended in triumph were it not for that one dissenting card.

Overall, there wasn’t a lot to complain about when it came to judging in 2023, at least at the highest levels of the sport, though there were three fights that I felt compelled to take to the lab. Let’s take a quick look back at those.

Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 1

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Our 2023 Fight of the Year is so good that reducing it to dreary judging talk does both Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski a disservice. That’s one reason why I refused to review their UFC 284 meeting immediately after it happened. That said, when the two ended up rematching just eight months later and with the discourse around the first fight still muddied, I realized it was my duty to give it a proper breakdown.

Having watched the fight multiple times, I’m even more disappointed that there was any robbery talk at all. This was four rounds to Makhachev on my card, three at worst.

Volkanovski put on an inspiring performance, but anyone paying attention to the details of the fight has to see that Makhachev was lighting him up on the feet outside of a few thrilling Volkanovski charges and a late knockdown by the featherweight king. The visuals of Volkanovski defiantly roaring as he survived Makhachev’s back control and then ending the fight in top position are indelible, but they don’t tell the story of the fight.

Makhachev doesn’t get enough love for definitively winning this battle of pound-for-pound greats. Then again, I guess the record set itself straight in their rematch.

Amir Albazi vs. Kai Kara-France

Though the stakes weren’t as high for the UFC Vegas 74 headliner between Amir Albazi and Kai Kara-France, the judging was similar to the two title fights discussed at the top of this feature. Two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Albazi, which I have no issue with, but judge Chris Lee’s card was suspect in my eyes.

In a tense five-rounder, neither fighter was able to create much distance until the fourth and fifth rounds that favored Kara-France’s striking. It would appear that Albazi would have to rely on his work in the first three rounds to secure a victory, but Lee actually scored Round 4 for Albazi despite a 27-5 significant strike advantage in Kara-France’s favor. I’m still not sure how this happened.

Albazi did enough to win the fight in my opinion, I just don’t see how one could score the last two rounds for him. So not a robbery, but rather another odd example of judging inconsistency.

Joselyne Edwards vs. Lucie Pudilova

Ladies and gentleman, the one true robbery of 2023, it’s Joselyne Edwards vs. Lucie Pudilova from UFC Kansas City.

Standing proudly at No. 1 on MMA Decisions’ most disputed calls of 2023, this April 15 preliminary card opener might not leap to the forefront of anyone’s minds when it comes to controversial fights, but if you saw it, then you know that Pudilova got done dirty here.

Unfamiliar judges, a classic grappling vs. striking debate, and a loud fan protest (91 percent of MMA Fighting voters called the decision a robbery) all mix together to paint an unflattering picture of Edwards’ split decision win. Respectfully, it just didn’t look like she did all that much with her striking during the fight, while Pudilova had notable moments of ground-and-pound throughout the contest.

I have no clue what the judges saw that the rest of us didn’t, nor do I expect there to be much widespread uproar when this, to put it kindly, inconsequential bantamweight bout is brought up in the future. But if you want a recent example of a no-doubt robbery, this is the one you want to point to.

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Bantamweight has for a long time been considered by fans as one of the best weight classes in the sport, and that remains true to this day.

The division is going through a somewhat unknown patch at present following the crowning of a new champion in August 2023. Behind the newly-crowned titleholder is a pack of hungry lions all hoping to claw their way to a title shot, with Umar Nurmagomedov being one of those contenders.

The Russian has been crying out for a fight ever since he was forced to withdraw from his huge Cory Sandhagen clash some months ago. As we prepare for another rollercoaster year for the UFC in 2024, the undefeated Dagestani is still without a scheduled opponent.

Taking to social media, Umar Nurmagomedov had a new name in mind and it’s a special one. In hopes of solidifying himself in the top 10 at bantamweight, the 27-year-old called for a fight against Deiveson Figueiredo.

Deiveson Figueiredo

— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) December 30, 2023

Figueiredo made a successful jump up from 125 lbs last time out and put on a brilliant performance. Still carrying his speed and power from his former weight class, the South American effortlessly put on a clinic against Rob Font and rightfully got his hands raised on the judges’ scorecards.

The two-time flyweight kingpin finds himself ranked within the top 10 in his new division and too has aspirations of getting his hands on the title in the foreseeable future.

Related: Sean O’Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov clash heads in heated social media exchange

Despite calling for a chance against the Brazilian, Umar has been pushing the UFC to find somebody for him to fight. The surging prospect is desperate to return to the octagon and made his thoughts known to his fellow bantamweights online.

Plz someone explain to me
Why no one calls my name for fight ?
Bantamweight in @ufc ?
🤷🏻‍♂️

— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) December 18, 2023

While the fan-favorite matchup won’t take place next, another fighter Umar Nurmagomedov has publicly stated his interest in fighting is Sean O’Malley.

The current bantamweight champion insisted he would “beat the unibrow off” of him, prompting a response from Umar.

pink head
To do this you need to dare to fight with me. https://t.co/5by6MYRYdL

— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) December 25, 2023

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Fight fans witnessed one of the last knockouts of the year earlier today (Sat., Dec. 30, 2023) at JCK Kings 002 from Luliang, Shanxi, China, when former Contender Series alum Zhifa Shang suffered a massive upset loss to former opponent Buhuoyouga in the flyweight main event.

Many fight fans are off doing non-combat things this holiday weekend and for good reason. There are no major mixed martial arts (MMA) or boxing events on the docket and it has left a sizeable void to fill. Luckily, some of the international MMA cards that are unfolding this weekend have delivered memorable action across the board.

After fight fans witnessed a $ 1 million submission on Friday night, they were treated to a massive upset finish on Saturday. It occurred during the flyweight championship main event between JCK flyweight king, Zhifa, and top contender, Buhuoyouga. Zhifa had won 27 of his last 28 fights — with his only loss from an appearance on Contender Series in 2021 — so he was a sizeable betting favorite. He also had a previous decision win over Buhuoyouga this past July.

Surprisingly, Buhuoyouga was the one who left JCK Kings 002 with the promotion’s flyweight title after delivering a gnarly one-punch knockout in the very first round. He connected on a perfectly-timed right hand counter along the cage that caught Zhifa flush and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. The fight was nearly waved off before Zhifa even hit the ground.

Check out the final moments in the above video player and let us know how this knockout finish stacks up against the best of 2023.

Let’s discuss!

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Celebrating the beginning of a new year by watching MMA fights has been a tradition in Japan since Pride FC introduced its first New Year’s Eve event in 2003, and former Pride head Nobuyuki Sakakibara is keeping that tradition alive with RIZIN Fighting Federation.

RIZIN closes the year on Dec. 31 with Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Takahashi for the flyweight title at RIZIN 45, which goes down Dec. 31 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama. Ahead of the event, Sakakibara shared with MMA Fighting his top three favorite New Year’s Eve moments as an MMA executive.

The 2003 New Year’s Eve lineup was headlined by Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and featured stars such as Royce Gracie, Don Frye, Quinton Jackson, Hayato Sakurai, and many others. That one, however, did not make Sakakibara’s podium.

“I would say the first one would be the 2006 New Year’s Eve because that is the first New Year’s Eve event we did without Fuji television,” Sakakibara said. “The entire thing of the challenge that we’ve been doing with Fuji television on New Year’s Eve is to deliver fight content to the Japanese people on free terrestrial television in a long program. It’s not two hours, it’s just a long program on the most competitive day of the network. Our challenge has been continuing to do it with Fuji television; 2006 was the first New Year’s Eve without doing Fuji television, so that was definitely a challenge and a memorable event for me.”

The 2006 New Year’s Eve card, Pride Shockwave 2006, was topped by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mark Hunt, with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Josh Barnett in the co-main event. Takanori Gomi, Mauricio Rua, Shinya Aoki, and Gilbert Melendez were victorious that night.

Pride had many other memorable New Year’s Eve nights, like the Shockwave 2005 show with Wanderlei Silva vs. Ricardo Arona, Takanori Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai, Dan Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante, Mark Hunt vs. Mirko Cro Cop, plus Fedor Emelianenko in a freak show match against “Zuluzinho.” That, however, didn’t make Sakakibara’s list.

Instead, he points to the doubleheader that kicked off his time with RIZIN in 2015. The first show in the company’s history went down Dec. 29 of that year, with another show two days later to conclude a heavyweight grand prix. Jiri Prochazka, Vadim Nemkov, Muhammed Lawal, and Teodoras Aukštuolis advanced to the tournament semifinals on Dec. 31, and “King Mo” knocked out future UFC champion Prochazka to claim gold later that night.

“The fact that Fuji television was able to commit to RIZIN, which had no significant accomplishments or any kind of background at the time, we were just starting,” Sakakibara said. “It was our first event, but yet Fuji television was able to commit to us. They didn’t know what to expect, except it was me and my team doing this event. I do believe that the success that RIZIN is experiencing today is because Fuji television committed to bringing us back into live television. That event back in 2015 with both teams, everybody kind of reuniting to put together an event on New Year’s Eve, that means a lot to me as well.”

A co-promotion between RIZIN and Bellator for the 2022 year-end show completes Sakakibara’s top three, although it ended with a 5-0 sweep for Bellator on his home turf, as A.J. McKee, Patricio Pitbull, Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta, and Gadzhi Rabadanov beat RIZIN’s Roberto Satoshi, Kleber Koike, Hiromasa Ougikubo, Soo Chul Kim, and Koji Takeda.

“It’s a promotion vs. promotion, full-on superfights from top to bottom,” Sakakibara said. “Being able to do such a challenge in these days, I feel it’s definitely some kind of a significant accomplishment. We got the hardcore fans to get excited, we got Japanese and people from all over the world to care about what we do in Japan. This year we don’t have that kind of concept, but being able to deliver a world-class promotion vs. promotion was definitely a memorable challenge.”

Sakakibara is excited for RIZIN 45, the world’s final MMA event of 2023.

“The New Year’s Eve event is a grand sum of the entire year,” Sakakibara said. “Many things happened in the MMA world this year, a lot of stuff happened in Japan this year. Just to point something out, Japan has been experiencing a new type of combat sport content called breaking down, which is 60-second pretty much amateur competition, but that has been taken off this year. We’re happy that we’ve been able to work with them and introduce their type of content over the RIZIN New Year’s Eve card as well.

“Obviously, we’ve been reaching out to various groups of people who enjoy combat sport content. Despite the level of competition, we have legitimate title fights and we have fights that fighters are making their MMA debuts. We have a variety of levels and storylines and the narratives behind each of these events, so I’m very happy that we’re able to deliver a product that’s nothing like the UFC, it’s nothing like Bellator, that we can cater to multiple groups of people who would enjoy the show overall.”

Japanese star Kai Asakura will face Archuleta in the co-main event, but the bantamweight belt is now vacant after Archuleta missed weight on Saturday. Asakura will be crowned the new champion should he win, but Sakakibara said the promotion no longer depend on local stars thriving in the ring in order to do good numbers in Japan.

“Kai Asakura is definitely a key figure in the Japanese MMA scene,” Sakakibara said. “Obviously, his brother Mikura Asakura, he’s much bigger, but just to give you an idea how popular these guys are, MMA fans know him, the casual fans know him, the non-MMA fans know him, and a general sports’ fan knows about them. That’s how much they are known just in general. With that said, they are definitely one of the faces of the Japanese MMA scene along with Horiguchi.

“As far as the fight itself, obviously a win would definitely help spike his popularity, give him more credibility in terms of exposure and whatnot, but at this point, we’ve told the story of how he got here, overcoming injuries and whatnot. The fans are pretty much all satisfied with the story, the narrative that we’ve shown already, so it doesn’t really matter about the results. If he wins, great, but even if he doesn’t win, we know how to tell the story and the fans like to follow the story of him anyways. Either way, win or lose, we can focus on it and pick up from that and continue to cater to what the fans want to see.”

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Returning to his native Birmingham for the first time since he successfully defended his undisputed welterweight crown at UFC 296 earlier this month, home town favorite, Leon Edwards paraded his championship belt around Villa Park – home to Aston Villa, receiving a massive hero’s welcome in his return to the United Kingdom.

Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, headlined UFC 296 two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Nevada, landing a one-sided unanimous decision win over former interim champion, Colby Covington in the pair’s grudge match clash in ‘Sin City’. 

And returning to the UK, Edward attended Aston Villa’s Premier League match against Burnley, parading his championship belt around Villa Park – as well as joining players from Unai Emery’s side following a 2-0 victory tonight. 

Leon Edwards parades title around Villa Park

Finding themselves on the right side of a 3-2 victory this weekend following a prior midweek 3-2 loss to Manchester United, a late penalty from Douglas Luiz after goals from both Mousa Diaby, and Leon Bailey handed the hosts all three points as part of a high-flying season under head coach, Emery. 

Yet to book his return to the Octagon amid links to a title fight rematch against surging Illinois contender, Belal Muhammad next year, Edwards claimed he did not believe the surging number two ranked welterweight contender actually deserved a championship re-run. 

“Nah, there are definitely other options,” Leon Edwards told said after UFC 296. “I don’t feel like Belal (Muhammad) should be next. I’ve done it before. I’ve won like 10 fights and didn’t get a title shot. So, what makes him different or more privileged.”

“So, Colby’s (Covington) already skipped the line already, let’s see who’s next,” Leon Edwards explained. “But like I said, this is the ‘Rocky’ era, it’s my era now and I’ll keep reigning, whoever’s next. It doesn’t matter, they’re all similar styles anyways. All boxers and wrestlers, it’s what I’ve built my career on. So, whoever comes next, it’s whatever, you know.”

Who do you want to see Leon Edwards fight in his next UFC outing?

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