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The UFC had a memorable 2023 filled with thrilling finishes ranging from thunderous knockouts to slick submissions. However, not everything consisted of explosive moments that left fans raving over the outcome. Instead, some matchups caused debate among the MMA world over their outcomes.
Some fights were wars that treated fans to back-and-forth affairs filled with entertainment value. While many of them had a definitive winner after three or five rounds, not every close bout ended in a manner similar to Alexandre Pantoja's rematch with Brandon Moreno.
Some of the matchups last year ended in controversial fashion, wherein the winner was either disputed or the margin by which they were judges winners was up for debate.
#5. Loopy Godínez vs. Tabatha Ricci, UFC 295
The penultimate UFC card of 2023 featured several noteworthy matchups involving streaking fighters. One such bout was the clash between Loopy Godínez and Tabatha Ricci, both of whom were at the helm of respectable win streaks. On the UFC 295 undercard, both women had a close scrap at strawweight.
In the end, Godínez was awarded the win via split decision. In comparison, the majority of the MMA world was in favor of her as the winner due to her superior striking throughout the bout. Thus, two of the three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Godínez. Unfortunately, controversy arose with the third judge.
Bryan Miner scored the fight 30-27 for her opponent, which left the MMA world up in arms. It led to allegations of corruption on Miner's part. Fortunately, Godínez was not robbed of a win. However, the decision remains controversial as it affected the margin by which Godínez was declared the winner.
#4. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman, UFC 294
UFC 294 was originally scheduled to feature Khamzat Chimaev taking on middleweight juggernaut Paulo Costa. Instead, he faced former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who stepped in on short notice to replace an injured Costa.
Despite giving up both size and fitness, Usman survived Chimaev's first-round onslaught. Rounds two and three were far more competitive and saw Usman score the more damaging blows as 'Borz' faded drastically, his cardio failing him. Still, Chimaev was ultimately awarded the win via majority decision.
Check out third-round highlights of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman in the clip below:
Several fans were unhappy with the decision, believing that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' had done enough to win the final two rounds or that the fight should have been scored closer regardless of the winner. It has also led to a reevaluation of Chimaev's ceiling as a fighter.
#3. Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo, UFC 288
UFC 288 was headlined by Aljamain Sterling's final successful bantamweight title defense, which was made against a returning Henry Cejudo. Ahead of the fight, the Olympic gold medalist was dismissive of Sterling's wrestling skills, but when they did finally cross swords inside the octagon, their bout was extremely competitive.
Both men scored numerous takedowns, but Sterling proved to be the more effective and damaging striker, as the shorter Cejudo struggled to find his range. 'Funk Master' was ultimately declared the winner via split decision, but the outcome of the bout was contested by many online.
Cejudo himself believed he had done enough to win, and this led to a debate on X among MMA fans. Some were even critical of judge Derek Cleary's decision to score the bout for Sterling, given that he previously scored in favor of Joseph Benavidez when he beat 'Triple C' in another fight that was controversial.
#2. Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2, Noche UFC
At UFC 285, Alexa Grasso authored one of the greatest upsets in women's MMA history when she dethroned Valentina Shevchenko as the women's flyweight queen. The outcome of the bout, however, was dismissed as a fluke by Shevchenko, and she was given the chance to prove it in their rematch.
Both women clashed at Noche UFC at the T-Mobile Arena. As was the case with their first fight, Grasso got the better of Shevchenko on the feet but struggled to stop her foe's takedowns. After five competitive rounds, most of the MMA world was in favor of Shevchenko recapturing her title.
Check out the verdict being read for Alexa Grasso's rematch with Valentina Shevchenko in the clip below:
She had outwrestled and controlled Grasso, neutralizing her offense enough to win more rounds in their eyes. However, when the scorecards were read, the MMA world was stunned as the fight was controversially declared a split draw.
#1. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 284
Both of Islam Makhachev's matchups with Alexander Volkanovski were memorable but for different reasons. Their second outing ended in a definitive knockout for the lightweight kingpin. Their first encounter, however, was highly controversial due to how human Volkanovski made Makhachev look.
Barring a flash knockout loss to Adriano Martins in his sophomore UFC fight, Makhachev has looked virtually invincible in the cage. However, when he took on Volkanovski in Australia, the two had a very close fight. Volkanovski held his own in the grappling department and even outlanded his Dagestani rival.
Furthermore, Volkanovski even scored a knockdown in round five, which saw him end the fight by punishing Makhachev with ground-and-pound. But in the end, Volkanovski was still declared the loser via unanimous decision, leading to shock, with many, like Joe Rogan and even Bryce Mitchell, believing it was a robbery.
