Judge Douglas Crosby, who controversially scored Paddy Pimblett's fight with Jared Gordon in favour of the Brit, has been defended by UFC legend Chael Sonnen.
Pimblett was awarded the win by all three judges against Gordon, despite being hit flush countless times in the first round and completely controlled in the third. However, the one name which proved controversial was Crosby, who had judged a fight across America hours earlier, and turned in a similarly questionable scorecard.
Most fans and experts were suspicious that a judge who turned in a scorecard at around midnight on a Friday in Connecticut would fly around six hours to Nevada and take on another event the following day. But Sonnen, who is close friends with Crosby, argued in a new YouTube video that it is a thankless job, and should be appreciated instead of scorned.
"People that are giving a voice and they're yelling and screaming about this, it's because they care about the sport," Sonnen said. "What do you think a judge did that worked a fight and traveled to another fight? What do you think he's getting paid? You think there was some level of attention for that? You think there's something fun or fancy about that?
"It's a terrible job, I mean it's a terrible grind. I mean it truly is a very difficult thing to do. When you want to talk about the world of people who care, you've got to give it to the judge. No, apparently we're taking it away from him? He should not have caught a plane, should not have judged back-to-back fights?"
Sonnen proceeded to note how in most walks of life such a dedication to the craft would see one praised, as opposed to questioned as Crosby has been. He never named the judge in his video, but it is presumed based on his references to the fight between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello and his flight to Nevada that he is who the fighter is speaking about.
"I must tell you that doing things back-to-back, daily doubles, working on the weekend, these were compliments," he continued. "I've been given them my whole life, never once has anybody tried to use that as an insult... As I read the story, the one constant that I have with everyone that I've heard from is something about that travel.
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"We touch on the scores and then we get off them pretty quickly. Then we get over to Paddy and 'Gordon should have won because these 24 guys [said so]', well all three judges? All three had it for the same guy? The argument starts to get a little bit weaker and I have seen people seem to default on this goddamn airplane.
"I just haven't heard it before. Jet lag, a night's sleep? I don't know. Do you have to be in a bed to sleep? I don't know? How much sleep does a guy have, what's required and why couldn't he sleep on a five hour flight? There's just all sorts of things that lead to speculation but that seems to be one constant.
"If you got everybody together and you just took the constant complaint, you use that as the divisible, okay, you wouldn't have a judge doing Friday and Saturday. That's all you would come to, that's the only common complaint. Is that a reasonable complaint by the way?
"A guy can't work extra hard? Be away from his family extra long? Help this body while helping [another body]? If that's what you think, the answer is year. It's not a hill I'm going to die on, is that a compromise we're all going to come to? One assignment a week? I'll listen, I think there's a fair argument there, but why are we making it?"
