UFC lightweight Jared Gordon is taking his controversial loss to Paddy Pimblett in stride, but he wants the judging to be changed.
Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 282 after three rounds. The outcome sparked the latest MMA judging controversy, with many believing Gordon should have been declared the winner. It was dubbed the “worst decision in UFC history” by some.
While there have been calls for changes to the MMA judging system, such as using open scoring or moving away from the boxing-inspired 10-point must system, Gordon believes it is more important to focus on the judges themselves.
“I believe that the system is good, that it could be better, but that the judges need to be looked at a lot more,” Gordon told MMA Junkie. “Who’s judging these fights, and how long have they been around? What sports have they previously judged, and are they fighters? They should have fighters, retired fighters, unbiased people judging these fights.”
The scorecard turned in by Doug Crosby, who scored the first and second rounds for Pimblett, was a major point of contention in the decision. Ron McCarthy also submitted the same card, but Crosby was the focus after submitting contentious scorecards on consecutive nights. Gordon doesn’t understand how any judge could have given his opponent the first round.
“This guy Crosby is under investigation right now,” Gordon explained. “He’s been linked to so many other (decisions), and there are a million other judges who people despise. They are (always) crucified. So, yeah, I think that’s a big problem, but I think it’s fixable.”
Crosby scored the Bellator 289 main event in Uncasville, Conn., 50-45 for Danny Sabatello in the bantamweight interim title and grand prix semifinal bout against Raufeon Stots the night before the UFC pay-per-view in Las Vegas. The fight was scored 48-47 for Stots by the other two judges, prompting Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulations commission director Mike Mazzulli to review the fight with all three judges.
“How did they give that kid so many rounds?” Gordon inquired. “It’s physically impossible. The only thing that makes sense is that he is an idiot. That’s all I can think of.”
While Gordon has called for a rematch with Pimblett in London, he believes the UFC will not put the two together again. He certainly wouldn’t expect any judging favours in Pimblett’s backyard if the rematch were to take place.
Gordon claimed that UFC president Dana White told him this was the “best-case scenario” if he lost the fight at UFC 282. White criticised Gordon’s final-round approach, but “Flash” isn’t holding it against the UFC president.
Gordon would have received his win bonus if his hand had been raised, but he admits he would have been left with more questions than answers about the trajectory of his career, among other concerns.
“What would the story be if I won?” Gordon inquired. “‘Oh, he beat Paddy, he sucks,’ you know, they’d somehow flip the narrative. ‘Oh, that was a boring fight, you laid on him in the last round,’ says the referee. They’d be crucifying me right now.
