Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has gone off on a controversial MMA judge.
Fight fans won't soon forget the conclusion to the Noche UFC main event. Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko battled for five thrilling rounds in the UFC women's flyweight title rematch. Grasso secured the 125-pound gold when she submitted Shevchenko six months prior. The rematch went the distance, and while the fight was an instant classic, it ended in controversy.
The first two score totals were read, both with 48-47 score totals, but judge Junichiro Kamijo had the fight for Grasso, while Sal D'Amato viewed Shevchenko as the winner. The final score total read was that of judge Mike Bell, who scored the fight 47-47, which means the bout was ruled a split draw. Bell received a ton of flak from the MMA community for giving Grasso a 10-8 score in the final round.
Henry Cejudo took to his YouTube channel and questioned how Bell could've possibly come to the conclusion that Grasso was dominant enough to earn a 10-8 score in round five.
"The biggest question that I have out of this whole thing as I'm thinking is, what's going on with this 10-8 round in the fifth for Alexa Grasso? I mean, it is Mexican Independence Day, and this is one thing that Valentina did bring up to mind, is the judges tend to lean more towards the favorite athlete when it comes to a special holiday. Does Alexa Grasso deserve to have a 10-8 round? To me, it really doesn't make any sense."
Cejudo said that Grasso absolutely deserved a 10-9 score for round five, but a 10-8 total is egregious. He went on to have some harsh words for judge Mike Bell.
"Mike Bell, you absolutely make me sick," Cejudo said. "You should retire from judging because you don't know absolutely anything."
It was recently reported by Ariel Helwani that the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will be holding a 10-8 training session for judges as a result of the Noche UFC debacle.
If you use any quotes from this article, please leave an H/T to MMAKnockout.com for the transcription.
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