UFC bantamweight Miles Johns didn’t hold back on the judges after his loss at UFC Vegas 109.
In what ended up being an eventful night at the UFC Apex, UFC Vegas 109 delivered some highlight-reel finishes and entertaining matchups. But the card also featured some head-scratching scorecards.
Bantamweights Miles Johns and Jean Matsumoto battled in one of the most entertaining fights of the night on the main card. After three rounds, Matsumoto went home with a split decision victory, and Johns immediately protested the decision inside the Octagon.
Johns was moved to tears as the official result was read, highlighting the emotional toll that fighters go through when they don’t feel judging is fair and concise. He expanded on his emotional reaction to the loss in a recent social media post.
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Miles Johns goes off on ‘dumb judges’ following UFC Vegas 109
In a since-deleted Instagram story post, Johns broke his social media silence following UFC Vegas 109.
“I don’t know, guys, I really thought we won that fight. I thought the takedown in the third round secured the deal,” Johns said. “When the fight was over, I was not nervous; I thought we for sure won. It is what it is. The part that makes me upset is our life is literally in the hands of these dumb flipping judges who don’t know what they are doing.
“They don’t realize I have four kids. I have mouths to feed, and they’re making bad decisions when a lot of money is on the line. They’re not held accountable at all. No one goes back to them and says, ‘Show me why you scored it this way.’
“The one judge who had me winning scored Matsumoto for the first round and me for the second and third,” Johns continued. “Matsumoto clearly won the second round! But I won the first and third. It is what it is. I’m going to get back to work and stay proud of my performance.”
Johns’ loss at UFC Vegas 109 marked the first time that he lost consecutive fights in his professional career. Before recent losses to Felipe Lima and Matsumoto, Johns went unbeaten through four-straight fights, including wins over Cody Gibson and Douglas Silva de Andrade.
Johns vs. Matsumoto wasn’t the only fight marred by controversy on the scorecards. In the first fight of the night, middleweight Eric McConico won a decision against Cody Brundage, prompting ‘robbery’ calls from fans online.
The UFC Vegas 109 co-main event also featured some controversial scoring that irked the loser of the bout.
Ode Osbourne questioned the judges following his short-notice defeat to Steve Erceg
UFC flyweight contender Ode Osbourne’s short-notice gamble fell just short against former title challenger Steve Erceg in the UFC Vegas 109 co-headliner. Despite outlanding Erceg, Osbourne lost by unanimous decision, a result he later protested on social media.
Erceg was on the verge of a fourth-straight loss against Osbourne in the early minutes of the fight, after Osbourne had Erceg nearly finished in the opening round. Erceg would rally in Rounds 2 and 3 to get the nod on the scorecards.
MMA judging continues to be a hot topic in the modern era, and until dramatic changes take place, we’ll continue to see some divisive scores.