5 most controversial champion scorecards in UFC history
Jon Jones' successful title defense at UFC 247 over Dominick Reyes caused outrage among fans after the judges awarded him a unanimous decision victory over the challenger.
With that in mind, here's a look at five memorable title fights where the champion walked away with a controversial judge's decision.
Georges St-Pierre (c) def. Johnny Hendricks - UFC 167
Boasting an 11-fight winning streak, welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre appeared unbeatable ahead of a title defense against Johny Hendricks at UFC 167. Apparently "Big Rig" never got the memo.
In what turned out to be a grueling five-round affair, Hendricks found a home for his left hand, tagging the Canadian champion several times throughout the showdown. With St-Pierre unable to utilize his wrestling, a key weapon in most of his victories, the matchup turned into a striking clinic with Hendricks getting the better of the exchanges.
Unfortunately for the American, it didn't matter in the end. The judges awarded St-Pierre a split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) in what would be his final fight in the welterweight division. Not a single media member scored the fight for St-Pierre, per MMADecisions.com.
Lyoto Machida (c) def. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua - UFC 104
Lyoto Machida was nearly one and done as a light heavyweight champion after going the distance against Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua at UFC 104.
Rua wasn't phased by the champion's undefeated record, unloading an arsenal of power punches and kicks throughout the 205-pound title fight. It was the type of performance fans expected from "Shogun" after coming over from PRIDE in 2007.
However, the judges didn't agree, awarding Machida a unanimous decision with a clean sweep of 48-47 on all scorecards. The media scorecards told the opposite story, but it didn't matter in the long run. Rua would get his revenge in the rematch, knocking out Machida in the first round at UFC 113.
Benson Henderson (c) def. Frankie Edgar - UFC 150
After Frankie Edgar lost his lightweight title to Benson Henderson at UFC 144, many felt "The Answer" would prevail in the rematch later that year at UFC 150.
Despite eating a number of leg kicks in the first round, Edgar turned the tide in the second, landing a huge right hand which sent Henderson to the canvas. The New Jersey native turned up the heat in the following three rounds, connecting with a number of punches while landing a number of submission attempts.
The judges disagreed with the media - who didn't have one member score the fight for Henderson - and handed "Smooth" a split-decision victory (46-49, 48-47, 48-47).
Robbie Lawler (c) def. Carlos Condit - UFC 195
In a fight that would take a toll on both combatants later in their respective careers, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit went to war at UFC 195.
The welterweight unification bout had several back and forth moments, but Condit landed more significant strikes over the five-round battle, outpointing Lawler 176-94, via MMAJunkie. Condit stood tall until the final bell, taking some unfathomable shots from the champion in the final round.
In the end, the judges awarded Lawler a split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) in what was likely Condit's last chance at a UFC championship. The majority of media members disagreed with the decision.
Robert Whittaker (c) def. Yoel Romero - UFC 225
In one of the most exciting fights in middleweight history, Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero showed a tremendous amount of heart in their rematch at UFC 225.
The challenger hurt Whittaker several times throughout the five-round war. With a relentless pace in the early going, both fighters slowed down toward the championship rounds, with many feeling Romero got the better of the exchanges.
Whittakers' durability proved to be the difference in the eyes of the judges, who gave the champion a split-decision victory (47-48, 48-47, 48-47). The media scorecards were a different story, with many favoring "The Soldier of God."
