One of the lone decisions on the UFC 318 prelims left fans confused about the judges’ scorecards.
The UFC 318 prelims didn’t feature many fights that went the full distance, but one of the lone matchups that did led to voluminous robbery calls.
UFC welterweights Nikolay Veretennikov and Francisco Prado helped kick off the action during the UFC 318 prelims on Saturday in New Orleans. Veretennikov and Prado were both looking to get back on track after big setbacks in their last fights.
The fight ended up being an instant classic three-rounder as both fighters traded big blows throughout 15 minutes. But the official decision left many fans bitter and furious with the latest MMA judging controversy.
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Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov at UFC 318 prompted strong ‘robbery’ calls
Prado landed a big takedown in the opening seconds of the fight, leaving Veretennikov in a difficult position at the onset. The two welterweights had some wild grappling exchanges in the opening round as both fighters looked to secure nasty submissions.
Veretennikov turned the tide in the closing minutes of Round 1, as Prado attempted to secure an armbar as Veretennikov stood up. As Prado neared the submission, Veretennikov broke free by slamming Prado on the side of his head and landing nasty ground-and-pound.
Veretennikov kept up his momentum at the start of Round 2, dropping Prado with a right hand that took him off his feet. Prado attempted a takedown midway through the round that proved unsuccessful, but secured on his second chance as Veretennikov attempted a spinning kick.
After controlling Veretennikov for the rest of Round 2, the third and final round of the fight was largely dominated by Prado. He landed some brutal elbow strikes from top mount that busted Veretennikov up, before outpacing his opponent on the feet and securing another late takedown.
Despite Prado’s dominant finish to the fight, the judges’ scorecards gave the split decision nod to Veretennikov, prompting a strong reaction from fans on social media who believed Prado deserved the win.
“UFC judges continue to suck. Ruining the sport,” one fan wrote on X.
“They rob my boy Prado…”
“Absolute robbery.”
“Absolute **** decision.”
“Why does d’Amato have a job?”
“Why am I not surprised with those 2 judges?”
“He dropped him in the 2nd! He won the fight!”
“No surprise Sal is one of the dumb*** judges that picked Nikolay.”
“Awful decision loss for Francisco Prado. I completely disagree with that decision.”
“Dude did NOT win that.”
“Wouldn’t be a UFC night without **** judges.”
“Awful decision by the judges, as usual.”
Veretennikov picked up his first UFC win with his controversial victory at UFC 318. He dropped his UFC debut to Austin Vanderford at UFC Seattle earlier this year, landing a cheap shot at his opponent after the horn that drew the ire of fans.
Meanwhile, Prado has now lost three consecutive fights since finishing Ottman Azaitar in the first round in July 2023. Prado is now 1-4 in his UFC tenure.
UFC 318 prelims featured wild finishes and Brendan Allen’s revenge
Prado vs. Veretennikov was one of the few fights to go the distance during the UFC 318 prelims. The preliminary portion of UFC 318 kicked off with a homecoming knockout for Carli Judice with a third-round knee.
UFC middleweight Ateba Gautier continued his destructive streak by knocking out Robert Valentin in the first round. Fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum Brunno Ferreira nearly snapped his opponent’s arm with a gnarly submission.
In a middleweight grudge match on the UFC 318 prelims, Brendan Allen outpointed former title challenger Marvin Vettori months after their viral brawl at a Florida casino. Allen returned to the win column following a loss to Anthony Hernandez at UFC Seattle.
Bloody Elbow has you covered with all the latest from UFC 318.
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