The controversial Ultimate Fighting Championship judge breaks his silence about the scorecard he submitted for the UFC 247 main event clash.
On Saturday night, a light heavyweight title clash featuring Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes headlined the said fight card at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Reyes, who entered the title fight as the underdog, exceeded expectations and gave the defending champ a serious run for his money.
The main event stars treated fans to an epic five-round contest, with the challenger almost pulling off a massive upset after putting on an impressive showing in the first three rounds.
When the dust settled, it was Jones who had his hands raised as cageside judges rewarded his efforts with a unanimous decision victory with scores of 48-47, 48-47 , 49-46 – a result that caused a stir among MMA fans.
The one being questioned was the 49-46 tally, which was scored by Joe Soliz as he saw the Jackson Wink fighter winning four rounds to one.
‘I Know My Job’
Soliz, who also made questionable scores in the UFC 247 preliminary card, has taken to social media to defend his scoring for the main event fight.
“Let me explain my scoring of the main event to end controversy,” Soliz posted on Twitter on Sunday morning.
“If you look at the stats, Reyes did not advance for one bit during the fight. Jones was clearly the most dominant fighter and won round 2, 3, 4, and 5.”
“I have been working for the Texas commission for years I know my job.”
“To elaborate. Dominick Reyes advanced for only 9% of the fight.”
“You cannot win a fight or a round without advancing this is one of the most basic parts of scoring in this sport.”
“I could concede and understand that the second round was close but even then Jones would still win.”
Hard-Earned
Amidst the controversy, Jones admitted it was not an easy win but he believes it was enough to make him one of the greatest athletes ever in the US.
“He landed some hard hits. The fans like it when they see me get hit — it doesn’t happen very often,” Jones said (per ESPN).
“But at the same time, I landed some takedowns. I got his back on more than one occasion. … A hard-earned victory but a victory.”
“That’s the way to make American history right there: hard-fought.”
“It wasn’t the most impressive victory, but nothing, absolutely nothing, that has never been done before is easy. It is never easy.”
“I left it all out there, showed the heart of a champion in the fifth round, and it’s so sweet.”
“Obviously, my body is hurting, but this victory is so sweet. This fight helps to put me as one of the greatest American athletes of all time.”
(Featured Image Source: Twitter/ UFC)