Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos: was it a close fight?

The reigning women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko definitely had a less-than-ideal night against Taila Santos at UFC 275. The event marked 'Bullet's first split decision win since her 2015 UFC debut against Sarah Kaufman.

Judge David Lethaby gave rounds 1 through 3 to the Brazilian and had her winning the contest via a razor-sharp 48-47 against Shevchenko. Judge Howard, on the other hand, scored the contest a similar 48-47, but in favor of the defending champion.

Jude Clemens Werner, however, saw the contest as a lopsided affair, clearly in favor of Shevchenko, awarding the Kyrgyzstani 49-46 win. Many fans and pundits saw the bout as a blatant robbery against Santos.

Although 'Bullet' was the busier and more accurate striker in all five rounds, Santos was able to complete all three of her attempted takedowns and secure almost nine minutes of total control time. Additionally, Taila Santos also registered three submission attempts during the fight.

Shevchenko, however, had a slight advantage in terms of significant strikes, landing 77 against Santos' 55. The Kyrgyzstani also edged out Taila Santos in terms of accuracy, with 55 percent of her strikes finding the mark as opposed to the Brazilian's 53 percent.

In the wake of the controversial decision win, many MMA fighters opined that the Brazilian exposed a few major flaws in the champion's game.

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When Anthony Smith gave his take on Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos

Earlier this June, Anthony Smith made an appearance on the Michael Bisping Podcast. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger stated that even though he had Taila Santos winning the fight by three rounds to two, a split decision win for the champion was something he could respect.

However, 'Lionheart' stated that he couldn't agree with one of the judges scoring the contest a 49-46 in favor of Valentina Shevchenko. Smith especially took the problem with the judge granting 'Bullet' the first round despite being controlled on the ground for the majority of the round:

"I had it 3-2 for Santos...3-2 either way, I'm not going to bi**h about it. The 49-46 was f**king crazy. Like how you give Shevchenko round 1 is beyond me. She was controlled for four minutes and ten seconds. If you land one punch on your feet, then you are controlled for four minutes and ten seconds, like you lose that round."

Watch Anthony Smith's take on Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos below: