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#2 Worst: Paiva and Phillips put on an incredible show, but judging takes centerstage again at UFC Vegas 32
Kyler Phillips and Raulian Paiva put on an incredible display of heart and skill during the 15 minutes they shared the octagon, walking away with the Fight of the Night award at UFC Vegas 32. But the consensus is that the fight should've ended with the honors even - or maybe even in favor of Phillips - after the beating 'The Matrix' doled out in the first round.
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Phillips started off as the aggressor, dropping Paiva early before almost finishing him in the dying seconds of the initial stanza. The Brazilian was saved by the bell as referee Keith Peterson watched on intently and sat in his corner - without even a stool - visibly dazed.
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It could've easily been a 10-8 despite Paiva securing one takedown and some top control in the scrambles that followed, but only one judge thought so. Given how easily 10-8s have been dished out in the recent past, Phillips could feel hard done by.
The second round saw Paiva have some more success with his striking, but Phillips tallied 72 seconds more control time and landed two takedowns on the official stats. While it could've gone in the 25-year-old's favor, the judging sorely lacked consistency.
Phillips appeared to be a touch gassed in the third, which was probably Paiva's by a decent margin. The overall numbers, while not an irrefutable indication of what transpired, paint a clear picture. The American (95 significant strikes, 56% accuracy, 4/9 takedowns and 3:02 mins of control time) had a healthy edge over Paiva (51, 43%, 2/6 and 3:32).
The fight, which was the best on show at UFC Vegas 32, left fans questioning the judging criteria for what feels like the umpteenth time in the recent past. The backdrop of the Maverick-Barber fight only added fuel to the fire.
#1 Best: T.J. Dillashaw takes massive step towards regaining the UFC bantamweight throne
T.J. Dillashaw is back! Taking to the octagon for the first time since January 2019, the former UFC bantamweight champion took a massive step towards regaining his throne by putting in a masterful performance against top contender Cory Sandhagen.
Dillashaw showed few signs of ring rust in the five-round fight, which saw him tackle a lot of adversity. He appeared to damage his knee in the first round and suffered a nasty cut over the eye soon after. But shielding his profusely bleeding eye and using smart head movement to ensure Sandhagen didn't catch him cleanly too often, the 35-year-old put his clinch work and wrestling to good use.
Was the decision a touch contentious? Despite Dillashaw controlling Sandhagen on the fence for a significant period of time, 'The Sandman' was never in any real danger and barely absorbed any damage over the course of the fight. Sandhagen landed cleaner shots, quickly getting back up whenever he was taken down and always attempting to keep the fight moving.
The outcome can certainly be debated. But after the baffling judging we saw earlier on the UFC Vegas 32 main card, Dillashaw vs Sandhagen was acceptable if not entirely agreeable.
