The split scorecards went Diego Sanchez’s way. | Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
The uproar has yet to die down.
UFC President Dana White rushed to Pearson’s defense and on June 10 announced that the British lightweight will receive his $30,000 win bonus.
“Diego lost that fight. The judge who judged that fight [30-27 for Sanchez] should never be judging fights again. He never should be judging fights of this caliber; he needs to go back down into the amateurs and really learn how to judge a fight,” White told UFC.com. “First of all, you gave every round to Diego, who got dropped in the second round. It was a knockdown. How does Diego win that round? It’s not possible. I don’t know how you can vote against him, but it goes to show that you’re never safe. That’s as bad as it gets.”
Pearson and his team filed an appeal with the New Mexico Athletic Commission shortly after the event. It is unlikely that the decision will be overturned, but it may not matter. White told ESPN.com earlier on Tuesday that “we have to treat Pearson like he won and give him that next level fight.”
The Sanchez-Pearson verdict was among the items of interest on the Sherdog.net forums this week: