"Split decision? What’s this boxing?" - UFC world blasts inexperienced Texas judge for Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen scorecard

An elite bantamweight clash between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen served as the main-event for UFC San Antonio on Saturday night.

Known for unorthodox striking skillset, Sandhagen displayed a whole new aspect of his game, taking Vera down early on and controlling him for most of round 1. 'Sandman' put on an absolute clinic as the fight progressed, neutralizing Vera's forward pressure with exceptional use of range.

While Vera had his moments in rounds 3 and 5, they were few and far between. However, Cory Sandhagen only managed to walk away with a split decision win despite his dominant showing.

While two seasoned UFC judges had Sandhagen winning emphatically, a comparatibly inexperienced dissenting judge scored it 48-47 in favor of 'Chito'. This was Joel Ojeda's first time judging a UFC card, with the main-event being the fourth ever UFC fight on his resume.

Ojeda has only judged 75 MMA bouts in his entire career, being a regular at regional promotions like Fury FC and Invicta FC.

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UFC fans and pundits unanimously slam Joel Ojeda for his scoring of Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera

Unlike judge Joel Ojeda, most fans and pundits saw Cory Sandhagen dominantly beating Marlon Vera at UFC San Antonio. MMA Twitter erupted with reactions slamming Ojeda for his judging, as well as the UFC for trusting an inexperienced judge with a main-event.

Renowned boxing coach Teddy Atlas wrote:

"Split decision? What’s this boxing?😏 #UFCSanAntonio"

TSN's Aaron Bronsteter wrote:

"Per @MMADecisions, Joel Ojeda has handed in completed scorecards for just four UFC bouts (including Sandhagen vs. Vera). I'm all for giving less experienced, regional judges opportunities to get reps and judge UFC events, but for main events, experience is way too important."

Bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling also demanded an explanation, citing the rising frequency of judging errors in recent times. 'Funkmaster' wrote:

"I just want an explanation. This is happening way too often…"

Former double-champ Henry Cejudo, who returns to the octagon at UFC 288 in May, also saw Vera take a lopsided beating from Sandhagen. 'Triple C' wrote:

"These judges make me sick 🤢. That was a 5 round beating! You owe me a Steak dinner @mwonsover I predict these deez tings!"

Several fans and fighters have also slammed 'Texas judging' in general.

Check out more reactions below: