5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 26: Was Paul Felder robbed by the judges?
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 26 in Auckland, New Zealand? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Another close decision, but not a robbery
Oh hey, welcome back. It’s another Sunday following a UFC event, and once again here we are having a discussion about judging. Going back to Jon Jones’ win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, this is the second time in three weeks a main event decision has created heavy dissent.
This time it was Dan Hooker who was awarded the narrow nod, with the judges giving him the split decision over Paul Felder in a five-round classic. It was a brutal and bloody affair that garnered “Fight of the Night” honors, but there were many who cried “robbery!” in the aftermath of the lightweight headliner.
My scorecard had Felder winning 48-47 with him taking Rounds 2, 4 and 5, but a Hooker win is by no means outrageous. The fight was tightly contested, with multiple rounds being close to coin tosses. The fact all three judges had it scored differently is a reflection of the competitive nature of the contest, and regardless of which way it went, someone was going to be displeased.
I’ll reiterate again that Felder secured the win from my perspective, however, this decision was far from criminal. Leaving the fight to be decided by the judges leaves the door open for heartbreak, and after winning a close one over Edson Barboza at UFC 242 in September, Felder was on the tough end of it this time.
5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 26: Was Paul Felder robbed by the judges?
