Paddy Pimblett's win at UFC 282 tagged "worst decision in UFC history" by top fighters

Paddy Pimblett eked out a close unanimous decision victory over Jared Gordon in the co-main event of UFC 282.

The bout proved to be the toughest test of the budding superstar's career as he ate several big shots from Gordon and was forced to defend against takedown threats throughout the fight.

With that being the case, Pimblett's decision win garnered backlash from observers. However, 'The Baddy' insisted that the fight wasn't close at all and that he knew heading into the third that he was ahead by two rounds. During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Pimblett claimed:

"Not at all [a close fight]. I won the first two rounds and coasted in the third. I knew I was two rounds up so I didn't wanna do nothing dangerous and risk losing the fight. I knew for a fact I won the first two rounds pretty easily."

Check out Paddy Pimblett's post-fight interview in the clip below:

That wasn't the general sentiment of fans, fighters, and media members, though. Many believe that Gordon had done enough and should have had his hand raised by the end of the contest.

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Fans and fighters react to Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon at UFC 282

Paddy Pimblett remains undefeated in the octagon, but the majority of commenters on social media believe that he should've lost.

UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is of the opinion that Jared Gordon deserved the victory. His sentiments were shared by former UFC superstar Nate Diaz and Henry Cejudo, who called the result "the worst decision in UFC history."

Dillon Danis took a shot at the judges, implying that they were fans of Pimblett's. Lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev pointed out that 2022 was a year filled with terrible decisions, while Derek Brunson expressed his disapproval of the decision.

UFC prospect Terrance McKinney vowed to avenge Jared Gordon by "killing" Paddy Pimblett in a potential matchup. Will Harris of Anatomy of a Fighter, on the other hand, couldn't hide his disdain and said he felt cheated.

MMA journalist Adam Martin pointed out that judge Doug Crossby has been involved in several terrible decisions.

Meanwhile, combat analyst Luca Fury believes MMA judges need to be investigated. He added that there have been too many bad decisions to let the issue slide:

"How many times do I have to keep saying that the judges need to be investigated? I hope to god this James investigation sheds light on many things behind the scenes. I’m sorry, but at this point it’s impossible to not suspect corruption with some of these decisions."

Check out more reactions below: