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UFC's 2024 run has come to a close with the conclusion of UFC Tampa on December 14.
While fans saw some spectacular finishes this year, as well as championship titles changing hands plenty of times, there were some dubious results sprinkled into the mix.
MMA Decisions, a platform for sharing scorecards for prominent MMA fights, has shared its most contentious MMA decisions of 2024. Let's take a look at some of the most controversial.
Honorable mentions:
- Tai Tuivasa's 30-27 scorecard in his loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Paulo Costa's 49-46 scorecard in his loss to Sean Strickland
2024's Controversial UFC Decisions
4. Ciryl Gane's Split Decision Over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310
95 percent of media, and 92 percent of fans disagreed with the result.
As the heavyweight landscape changed with the Jones-related logjam in the top ranks, the UFC put on some questionable rematches, such as Sergey Spivak vs. Marcin Tybura 2, and Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 2. Their first fight in 2021 was a clear win for Gane, but the rematch was much closer.
Is Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 2 the worst decision of 2024? pic.twitter.com/cPOl0E5NS2
— Verdict (@VerdictMMA) December 9, 2024
Volkov exploited weaknesses in Gane's grappling, and the Frenchman suffered a foot injury early in the fight which stifled his striking. 'Drago' worked at range and the threat of a takedown kept Gane guessing. Despite this, two of the three judges scored the first two rounds for Gane, and he took the split decision.
The result was marred further by Gane leaving the Octagon as Buffer announced him as the winner.
3. Christian Rodriguez's Unanimous Result Over Isaac Dulgarian at UFC on ESPN+ 97
100 percent of media and 89 percent of fans disagreed with the result.
Isaac Dulgarian came into his fight with Christian Rodriguez as a -200 favorite back in March. Then-undefeated, 'The Midwest Choppa' amassed over nine minutes of control time with seven takedowns over 15 minutes.
Christian Rodriguez vs Isaac Dulgarian
— OG_Trillmatic (@OTrillmatic) June 2, 2024
March 16th 2024
UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura pic.twitter.com/scIyXOSYb1
Rodriguez was controlled for almost all of round one, and the same was true for round two. He pulled it back in round three, but a 29-28 Dulgarian looked to be the result. Every judge gave Dulgarian a 10-8 in round one and Rodriguez a 10-8 in round three. The determining round was the second, where two judges scored it for Rodriguez despite being at the whim of Dulgarian for most of the time.
2. Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal by Unanimous Decision at UFC 308
100 percent of media and 92 percent of fans disagreed with the result.
Fakhretdinov vs. Leal was a slugfest. Leal landed better shots through three rounds, hurting Fakhretdinov several times, but it would go uncredited. An argument could be made for Fakhretdinov round one because of his control time, but it was largely defended by Leal, who pressed Fakhretdinov in the closing minutes with his boxing and clinch work.
This trend only continued for Leal, who remained the fresher fighter in rounds two and three, landing the most substantial strikes of the fight. Officially, Fakhretdinov took a unanimous decision, with one judge giving him all three rounds.
"I don't really know what to say about one judge giving all three rounds to Rinat Fakhretdinov despite all the success for Carlos Leal," Commentator Jon Anik said.
"That's really bad," Paul Felder followed.
"You got gifted a win. Take it."
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 1, 2024
Daniel Cormier calls Rinat Fakhretdinov a "moron" for complaining about commentary after his UFC 308 fight against Carlos Leal. pic.twitter.com/pw5IirgPBY
1. Julianna Pena's Split Decision over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307
96 percent of media and 85 percent of fans disagreed with this championship result.
24 of 26 media members scored this fight for Pennington, while the other two scored a draw and a 48-47 Pena, respectively.
Pena had success early on with her grappling, but Pennington's conditioning proved effective in the latter rounds, where she landed at will and even dropped Pena with a crisp right hand.
Raquel Pennington says "nobody understood" how Julianna Peña got the decision after their fight at UFC 307:
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) October 13, 2024
"I’ve had Dana White, freaking Hunter, Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, DC, everybody who’s sitting right there and everybody is just like, 'No way.'"
(: @mikeHeck_JR) pic.twitter.com/TOv8xgeitS
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TODAY'S BEST
Dolphins considering drastic Tua Tagovailoa move
Tua Tagovailoa's future as the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback may be on shaky ground. Through nine starts, Tagovailoa is 2-7 and has posted a below-average 43.6 QBR. If his play doesn't improve soon, the team may make a drastic move. Dolphins are reportedly considering benching Tua Tagovailoa In a story published Sunday, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported the Dolphins could bench Tagovailoa in favor of Zach Wilson or rookie Quinn Ewers later this season. Rapoport added, "Tagovailoa's play would really have to fall off for Miami to turn to either Wilson or Ewers." However, the QB may be nearing that point. In his past four games, the 2020 first-round pick has tossed seven of his 11 interceptions. Wilson and Ewers have both filled in for Tagovailoa during blowout losses this season. Former New York Jets flop Wilson completed 5-of-8 passes for 32 yards in a 33-8 Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Ewers, a seventh-round pick out of Texas, finished 5-of-8 passing for 53 yards in a 31-6 Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. What would happen if the Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa? The Dolphins' benching of Tagovailoa would signal they want to move on from the QB, but that would be challenging. In July 2024, the former Alabama star signed a four-year, $212.4M contract extension with $167.1M guaranteed. The deal is now an albatross for the franchise. According to Rapoport, Miami would incur an NFL-record $99.2M cap hit if it released him this offseason. The Dolphins could designate him as a post-June 1 cut to spread the amount out over the next two seasons ($67.4M in 2026 and $31.8M in 2027). The Denver Broncos did the same in March 2024, after taking an $85M cap hit following the release of former starting QB Russell Wilson. To avoid these expenses, the Dolphins could consider trading Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation. A pre-June 1 trade would leave $45.2M in dead money against Miami's salary cap. But a declining and injury-prone Tagovailoa shouldn't attract many suitors. The sixth-year veteran has had four documented concussions in his NFL career. The Dolphins should hope Tagovailoa gets his act together. Per Over The Cap, his deal runs out of guaranteed salary in 2027. Until then, they're likely stuck with the 27-year-old passer.
Three offseason trade targets for Blue Jays to add an impact bat
The Toronto Blue Jays and their fans are fresh off the most heartbreaking loss in franchise history. Putting the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the brink of elimination with two cracks to win the World Series at home, only to lose two nail-biters that each came down to the final out. It’s going to take a long time to get over it, if that’s even possible to do. However, they'll have to turn the page rather quickly because in just three days, the negotiating window for free agents expires, and all are free to sign wherever they so choose. Toronto will be busy in an attempt to retain the likes of star shortstop Bo Bichette and starting pitchers Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. At the same time, the front office must be active in improving its roster from the outside, whether that’s via free agency or trade. While there are some intriguing names for the Blue Jays to target on the open market, given their needs, heading down the trade route could make the most sense. Here are three ideal trade targets for the Toronto Blue Jays to add an impactful left-handed bat to their lineup for 2025-26 and beyond: Oneil Cruz | Pittsburgh Pirates Cruz’s name popped up in trade rumors ahead of the deadline in August, and it’s fair to wonder if he still could be available if Pittsburgh gets the right offer. The 27-year-old has all of the tools to be one of the best hitters in baseball, standing at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds with extreme power and bat speed. His numbers last season (20 HRs, 61 RBI), while solid, didn't reflect his talent, but it's understandable given the lack of protection around him on the Pirates. In Toronto, Cruz could slot in behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, immediately becoming the most dangerous left-handed hitter in a right-heavy lineup. Matt Wallner | Minnesota Twins The 39th overall pick back in 2019 may not publicly be on the trade block, but after its sell-off at the deadline, it doesn’t feel like anyone is untouchable in Minnesota. Like Cruz, Wallner, at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, has big-time power, and the Blue Jays saw that firsthand when he crushed three HRs and six RBI during their three-game series in Toronto in late August. He does have some swing and miss in his bat (.231 career average), but with how often the top of the Blue Jays lineup gets on base, all it takes is one swing for Wallner to put up a crooked number on the scoreboard. Jarren Duran | Boston Red Sox The 2024 All-Star Game MVP has been in constant trade discussions for over a year now, and it feels inevitable that he gets dealt out of Boston this winter. Duran had more of an up-and-down 2025 campaign, though he's displayed the ability to drive in runs (84 RBI) and has power with even more untapped potential. Combine that with his speed and athleticism, and you can see why so many teams would love to acquire him. Trading within the division is never easy, but the 29-year-old would be a perfect fit in the middle of Toronto's lineup, so it's something they should absolutely look into.
Brad Marchand Reportedly Refused Trade to Different Team Before Joining Panthers
** Author’s Note: We’re working to get verification and footage of the comments from Marchand. This report comes from multiple social accounts that claim they heard the remarks firsthand. According to a report by @j_vmess on social media, former Boston Bruins captain and now Florida Panthers veteran star Brad Marchand shared a surprising story during Pantherfest this weekend. Apparently, he confirmed that he was nearly traded at the NHL trade deadline to a different team. He refused that trade, which led him to joining the Florida Panthers. Revealing that the Bruins moved him to a different NHL club, Marchand said he told the team he would not accept a trade there and would refuse to report if dealt. Ultimately, the Bruins pivoted and traded Marchand to Florida. Marchand went on to win a Stanley Cup with the team and re-sign there this past offseason as a free agent. @flatcatsandrats added to the report, noting that according to Marchand, the deal came together just before the deadline closed. “I got traded to another team about an hour before the deadline,” Marchand is said to have told fans. “When they called me, I said no — I wasn’t going.” Marchand didn’t specify which team had acquired his rights; the assumption is that the Los Angeles Kings had expressed serious interest. Marchand has reportedly noted in previous interviews that he wasn’t interested in playing for the Kings or on the West Coast. So too, back in June, Elliotte Friedman wrote that the Kings thought they had a trade for Marchand completed. At the time of Friedman’s article, Marchand was weighing his free agency options, Friedman explained: “Florida is first up, obviously, with the advantage of already being a perfect fit and good state taxes. If he doesn’t stay, Toronto and Utah are expected to be among the serious pursuers. Utah has indicated it is not crazy about term, Toronto could prefer to stretch it out, but, watching him in the final, who wouldn’t want him? Los Angeles (who had a deal with Boston, only to find out Marchand wanted Florida), New Jersey, Washington, etc., etc., he can fit anywhere.” “This was the only team I was coming to,” suggested another person who cited Marchand’s comments this weekend. It was common knowledge that teams were interested in Marchand at the deadline, but knowing that a trade had been finalized and that Marchand was the one who squashed it is an added wrinkle.
Could Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel before season ends after parting ways with Chris Grier?
Shortly after Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced on Friday that the Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier had "mutually" agreed to part ways, a report revealed that Mike McDaniel would "remain Miami’s head coach for the remainder of the season at least." It appears not everybody is convinced McDaniel will stay employed through Week 18 of the ongoing campaign. When could Dolphins part ways with Mike McDaniel? "Nothing is guaranteed for McDaniel at the end of the season, or even over the next few weeks, including a stand-alone game in Madrid followed by a bye," NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote on Monday. "But he has a chance to prove himself, as Ross, team president Tom Garfinkel and Ross' advisors try to chart a course. I would guess that leads the Dolphins to a new head of football ops, and that person would make a call on McDaniel — unless McDaniel’s grip on the locker room slips (that’d be the one way McDaniel could still lose his job in-season)." McDaniel was the subject of hot-seat rumors long before the Dolphins fell to 2-7 on the season via an ugly 28-6 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past Thursday night. The Dolphins notched zero postseason wins over McDaniel's first three campaigns in charge, and the club's culture under the advertised offensive guru has come into question. On Monday, Miami made it known the club is ready to sell ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline when it agreed to send pass-rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 third-round draft pick. In short, things could get worse for the 2025 Dolphins before they get better. Why Stephen Ross may be ready to blow things up Miami hosts the 6-2 Buffalo Bills on Nov. 9 before the Dolphins face the Washington Commanders (3-6) in Madrid on Nov. 16. It seems as if Breer thinks there's a chance Ross could fire McDaniel during Miami's Week 12 bye. "Ross, now in his 18th season as owner, hasn’t won a playoff game," Breer added. "His once-proud franchise last won one in Grier’s first year there as a scout, and Dave Wannstedt’s first year as coach (2000). That’s the longest such drought in the NFL, which illustrates how far they are from the days of Dan Marino in South Florida." As of Monday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Dolphins as 8.5-point home underdogs against the Bills. On paper, the roster McDaniel will have available to him for that matchup will be weaker than the one that was blown out on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 9.
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