ruthie
03-03-2012, 10:57 PM
In the first ever UFC 125-lb. match, an error by the athletic commission in Australia screwed up the result. Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson's bout should have been scored as a draw, and their fight should have gone to a fourth, sudden-death round.
After the fight, MMA Junkie's John Morgan reported that the score announced was not the score written on the judges cards he received. During the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White reported that the fight was actually scored as a majority draw. By the rules of the flyweight tournament, it should have gone to a fourth and decisive round, but the error was discovered too late.
"Controversy has stuck to us like glue. Human error happens. Johnson-McCall was a draw. Fight was supposed to go to a fourth round. The commission has taken responsibility," White said.
The two will rematch to decide who will take on Joseph Benavidez, the other flyweight tournament winner at UFC on FX 2 on Friday night. For McCall, it's another chance to give the fans a show.
"We get to fight again. I feel vindicated," McCall said.
Johnson was looking forward to fight Benavidez for the promotion's first flyweight title, but now the process will take longer.
"I thought I had the victory, and it sucks because it prolongs stuff," Johnson said.
One consolation for Johnson and McCall is that they won the $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus, and they both received their win bonuses. They will now have to schedule another fight to see when they can get a step closer to the championship belt.
After the fight, MMA Junkie's John Morgan reported that the score announced was not the score written on the judges cards he received. During the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White reported that the fight was actually scored as a majority draw. By the rules of the flyweight tournament, it should have gone to a fourth and decisive round, but the error was discovered too late.
"Controversy has stuck to us like glue. Human error happens. Johnson-McCall was a draw. Fight was supposed to go to a fourth round. The commission has taken responsibility," White said.
The two will rematch to decide who will take on Joseph Benavidez, the other flyweight tournament winner at UFC on FX 2 on Friday night. For McCall, it's another chance to give the fans a show.
"We get to fight again. I feel vindicated," McCall said.
Johnson was looking forward to fight Benavidez for the promotion's first flyweight title, but now the process will take longer.
"I thought I had the victory, and it sucks because it prolongs stuff," Johnson said.
One consolation for Johnson and McCall is that they won the $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus, and they both received their win bonuses. They will now have to schedule another fight to see when they can get a step closer to the championship belt.