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Derek Cleary is one of the most controversial judges in MMA today. There are two figures in the sport of mixed martial arts who have thankless jobs: referees and judges. A referee's duty is layered. First, they must maintain the sanctity of a proper sporting competition by enforcing the rules.
Second, they must protect the fighters if one of them is no longer defending themselves intelligently. A judge, however, is employed to determine the rightful winner of a bout that failed to end definitively. Often-times, a winner is relatively easy to determine based on who outstrike who and similar criteria.
Unfortunately, even a fighter who has done enough to earn a win in the eyes of the MMA world can elude a judge's notice. This has been the case with Derek Cleary, who happens to be a tenured MMA judge with over a decade of experience.
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Given his recent take on Aljamain Sterling's closely-contested win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, this list looks at five of his controversial decisions.
#5. Holly Holm vs. Ketlen Vieira, UFC Fight Night 206
Back in 2022, Holly Holm was intent on embarking on a title campaign to earn an unprecedented fifth UFC title fight. She was riding the wave of a two-fight win streak and hoped that one more win would lead to her last chance at recapturing UFC gold. So at UFC Fight Night 206, she faced Ketlen Vieira.
It was a highly competitive bout that was extremely close. Still, 'The Preacher's Daughter' managed to outstrike her opponent and land more significant strikes. While she failed in all of her takedown attempts, she still racked up more control time than the Brazilian.
Many felt that Holly Holm had done enough to win the close fight. It was clear to everyone, including the judges, that Holly Holm had won the first and fifth rounds, while her foe had won the second round. The third and fourth rounds, however, were much closer.
All judges awarded Vieira the fourth round, and Derek Cleary was instrumental in giving her the nod for the third round, which ultimately led to 'Fenômeno' claiming victory via split-decision.
#4. Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson, UFC 208
Anderson Silva's last-ever win in the UFC came against Derek Brunson, but in the eyes of many, it should have never happened. 'The Spider' faced the longtime middleweight contender at UFC 208. Throughout the bout, the explosive wrestler outworked his legendary opponent with strikes and clinch work.
Furthermore, he even secured two takedowns and amassed a few minutes of control time. After three rounds of fighting, Brunson was confident that he would be declared the victor. A glance at the bout's statistics and it is easy to understand why. He landed 118 strikes compared to Silva's 54.
Yet, Derek Cleary still scored the fight in Anderson Silva's favor, which stumped most viewers. The MMA media, for example, resoundingly scored the fight in Derek Brunson's favor. Unfortunately, the bout was yet another controversial notch on Derek Cleary's belt.
#3. Joseph Benavidez vs. Henry Cejudo, The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale
The only other flyweight to defeat Henry Cejudo is four-time UFC title challenger Joseph Benavidez. However, his win over the Olympic gold medalist is not without controversy. The strike differentials were extremely close, with Cejudo outlanding Benavidez by a single digit and vice versa regarding significant strikes.
However, 'Triple C' scored an early knockdown in the first round after swarming his opponent against the fence. He also secured the only takedown of the fight. Regardless, Joseph Benavidez was awarded a split-decision win to the confusion of many except Benavidez himself.
Derek Cleary scored the bout in favor of Joseph Benavidez, likely due to a point deduction, causing Henry Cejudo to label the bout a complete robbery, which he claims UFC president Dana White repeated after calling him to apologize for the judges' controversial verdict.
Unfortunately, for 'Triple C', it wouldn't be the last he'd see of Derek Cleary.
#2. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 284
The blockbuster bout between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski is one of the most controversial matchups in recent memory. It was the Australian great's chance at realizing immortality in MMA. Instead, he was on the wrong end of a split-decision that many fans and even fellow fighters feel he won.
While Khabib Nurmagomedov's protege scored four takedowns in the fight, he didn't accomplish much besides securing a body-triangle from which he landed nothing of significance. He did, however, stun Volkanovski in the pair's kickboxing exchanges. However, 'The Great' clearly outlanded his opponent.
Not only did he land more strikes than Makhachev, he also dropped the Dagestani phenom and finished the fight raining down blows on top of him. Yet, despite his efforts, he was declared the loser of the bout. Derek Cleary judged Islam Makhachev to be the winner.
More than that, however, he is also the only judge who scoured the third round in the Dagestani's favor.
#1. Henry Cejudo vs. Aljamain Sterling, UFC 288
This past Saturday, Henry Cejudo made his long-awaited return to the bantamweight stage in a bid to reclaim the divisional crown that he never lost inside the octagon. Meanwhile, Aljamain Sterling stood firm and ready to thwart his rival's attempt at dethroning him.
The two men locked horns in a closely-contested fight, with 'Funk Master' landing more significant strikes and overall strikes. Sterling also scored one takedown more than 'Triple C' but at a lower accuracy as he managed four takedowns out of 15, while Cejudo managed to secure three takedowns out of eight.
Additionally, the Olympic gold medalist also enjoyed more control time. It was a difficult fight to score, with the two men aware of how close it was. However, Derek Cleary saw the bout going in Aljamain Sterling's direction. This led to a split in the MMA community, with everyone divided on who truly won the bout.
Regardless, it's yet another controversial decision involving Derek Cleary.
