Charles Oliveira’s dramatic victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 262 has raised more than a few temperatures. At an event where fan favourite Tony Ferguson was thoroughly demolished by Beneil Dariush and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s now-vacant Lightweight title was claimed by Oliveira, UFC stalwart Daniel Cormier had some choice words for the judges on the night.
DC Trashes Clueless Judges Following UFC 262: “They Have NO Clue What They’re Doing”!
“This is absolutely insane, while chandler did win the round Charles had the back and landed some shots. The judging last night was bad, there seems to be no value in ground control anymore. Vivian got to the mount and controlled, attempted sub and still lost the round.”
DC may be within reason to criticise the judges, whose scoring of the bouts drastically misrepresents the events transpiring in the Octagon.
The undercard fight between Viviane Araujo and Katyln Chookagian was not without controversy. Two judges scored the fight in favour of Chookagian (2x 29-28, 30-27), despite spending almost all of round two on her back. It even briefly looked during round two that Chookagian would tap out to Araujo’s choke.
The UFC in its early years was dominated by world-class grapplers from the famous Gracie family, almost single-handedly popularising the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu throughout the world. The Lightweight division in particular was, until very recently, dominated by an undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov. The “Russian Eagle” overwhelmed his opponents with a ground-and-pound strategy rooted in ruthless wrestling and unparalleled grappling ability.
Considering that the judges completely failed to acknowledge Oliveira’s superior grappling ability in round one – scoring it 10-8 and ignoring his top control position – Daniel Cormier’s argument holds more than a little water.
Similarly, the undercard fight between Viviane Araujo and Katyln Chookagian was not without controversy. Two judges scored the fight in favour of Chookagian (2x 29-28, 30-27), despite spending almost all of round two on her back. It even briefly looked during round two that Chookagian would tap out to Araujo’s choke.
Oliveira arguably deserved a closer round one. While he undoubtedly lost the round, looking several times like he was about to lose the fight, his successful takedown of Michael Chandler gave him the upper hand early in the first round. Oliveira, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, secured a dominant position through this takedown. Taking the back and dominating on the ground is a vital part of MMA, and a major facet of Oliveira’s fight game. Chandler’s escape from this position, and his subsequent flurry of punches which rocked Oliveira, is more impressive when you consider the power of the Brazilian’s grappling ability.
What do you think? Were the judges at UFC 262 way off in their ability to judge the sport? Is striking more valuable in modern MMA, or are modern judges simply ignoring 50% of the fight game?
Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit Gamestingr for great videos, news, and gameplay!
