Which judge scored UFC 290 flyweight title fight in favor of Brandon Moreno? MMA Twitter erupts over controversial scorecard

Brandon Moreno put his flyweight title on the line against Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event at UFC 290 this Saturday. Both fighters went toe to toe for five rounds in an all-time classic which also happened to be their third clash.

While Moreno landed more damage on the feet, Pantoja displayed exceptional grappling skills in recording enough control time to rope in a split-decision victory. Surprisingly, the dissenting judge, Ben Cartlidge, had Moreno winning every round except the first.

Cartlidge's 49-46 rating did not sit well with a large section of the MMA community who had Pantoja clearly winning the fight. Former UFC fighter Ben Askren wrote on Twitter:

"How did 1 judge score it 49-46 Moreno!!!! That’s so insane."

However, word is that Cartlidge, who has previously judged at UFC 284 and UFC 286, is one of the best judges in the business. Luke Thomas of CBS Sports wrote:

"The judge who scored it 49-46 is Ben Cartlidge. I don’t see how he got that score, but I’ll say this - and encourage you to double check what I’m saying so you see for yourself I’m telling the truth - Cartlidge is one of the best judges in the sport."

While some believe Cartlidge will have some reasonable explanation for his scoring of Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja, others believe the judge fumbled the bag this time.

Catch more reactions below:

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UFC 290 judge for Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja once explained the judging criteria

Judge Ben Cartlidge was asked to explain MMA judging during a previous interview with The 42. Cartlidge's comments from back then certainly hint that he would give more weightage to activity. He said:

“For example, if somebody has three minutes of stand-up where they’re winning but not by much, then their opponent gets a big takedown and is able to control them on the ground, maybe land some good shots on the floor, you’ve got to weigh up if that two minutes on the ground is worth more than that three minutes stood up.

While Brandon Moreno outlanded Alexandre Pantoja 147 to 129 in terms of significant strikes, the numbers don't fully reflect the difference in damage inflicted by both parties. Regardless, Pantoja mounted over eight minutes of control time compared to Moreno's four to be crowned the new UFC flyweight champion.