The Final Verdict: Lerone Murphy vs. Gabriel Santos
Lerone Murphy remained unbeaten today with a split-decision win over Gabriel Santos at UFC 286 in London, England. The fight was a high pace back and fourth affair, with Murphy landing more strikes while Santos had more control time.
The official decision has received some criticism, so let's look at each round and see if the judges got this right.
Official Judges:
Mark Collett, Vito Paolillo, Clemens Werner
Round 1
The fight started quickly, with both men throwing hard in a competitive first round. Santos was landing land hard shots and mixing in takedowns in the early frame giving him the edge after the first.
Judges Scorecards: 10-9 Santos x3
Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Santos (Close Round)
Round 2
Lerone Murphy got off to a strong start in round 2 as he began to land more frequently and hit the body, draining Santos. Later in the round, Santos was able to secure a body triangle position where he controlled and threatened until the end of the round, which was enough to swing it back in his favor.
Judges Scorecards: 10-9 Murphy x2, 10-9 Santos x1
Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Santos (Close Round)
Round 3
The final round was the clearest of the fight as Lerone Murphy came out late as the fresher fighter and was landing at a higher rate and effectively defending against the grappling attack of Santos, winning this round.
Judges Scorecards: 10-9 Murphy x3
Verdict Scorecard: 10-9 Murphy (Clear Round)
Official Scorecards: 10-9 Murphy x2, 10-9 Santos x1
The judges gave the win to Murphy in the end. How do you feel about the judges' decision? Did they get this one right?
