MMA stories of the year for 2022, No. 3: Judging again falls under spotlight for wrong reasons

With just a few days remaining in the 2022 calendar, it’s time to put on a bow on the year that was and get ready to turn the page.

Before that can happen, though, we must examine the top storylines of the past year. That was the focal point in the final 2022 episode of MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique,” on which we count down the top five storylines.

Judging has been a constant issue in MMA since its inception. But with the sport growing at a rapid pace, that means there’s more investment into the outcome of each fight, from the athletes to the promoters to the fans. So when a bad decision is turned in, the outrage from the masses only grows to more of a fever pitch.

That was no more evident than following Paddy Pimblett’s controversial unanimous decision over Jared Gordon at UFC 282, which many believe was one of the worst “robberies” of the year, highlighted by judge Douglas Crosby, who had turned in a puzzling card one night prior at Bellator 289.

Is judging as bad as many people believe, though? Or are there any legitimate ways it can be fixed. Our panel of Nolan King, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Mike Bohn discussed the No. 3 storyline of 2022. Check it out in the video above. Then don’t miss the full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.