Best and worst from UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington

#1 Worst: The judging in the Moraes/Aldo fight

Marlon Moraes' win over Jose Aldo featured some questionable judging

The majority of UFC fans – myself included – firmly believed that Jose Aldo’s drop to 135lbs to face Marlon Moraes was a mistake. Well, the former UFC Featherweight champion lost his debut in his new division, but in the end, it turned out that his performance was far better than his last one at 145lbs, and the worst thing about the fight was the performance of the judges.

Moraes came out strongly and appeared to have Aldo on the ropes early, but ‘Junior’ hung tough, and then turned up the heat in the second and third rounds to the point where he had ‘Magic’ backing up for the majority of the final ten minutes. The stats appeared to back that up too, with the more fluid Aldo reportedly landing more strikes in the second and third rounds than his fellow Brazilian.

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Somehow though, two of the three judges decided that Moraes had done enough to win the fight, 29-28. Quite how they came to that conclusion is anyone’s guess, and is more evidence – along with other questionable decisions lately like Cody Stamann’s recent draw with Song Yadong – that despite supposed improvements, MMA judging still has a lot of improving to do before it becomes completely credible.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Raunak J