WATCH: ‘How did I lose the fifth round?’ – Henry Cejudo goes on rant against ‘fat dirtbag’ MMA judge for controversial decisions

Former UFC double division champion Henry Cejudo goes on rant on controversial UFC judge Derek Cleary in latest YouTube video.

WATCH: ‘How did I lose the fifth round?’ – Henry Cejudo goes on rant against ‘fat dirtbag’ MMA judge for controversial decisions

Fans react to Henry Cejudo's comments on fighters being vulnerable (Image via Imago)

Henry Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist and a two-division UFC champion. He recently went on a rant on one of his YouTube videos. There he criticized UFC judge Derek Cleary for his controversial decisions in his fights and urged him to do better in 2024. Here is what happened:

UFC judge Derek Cleary and Henry Cejudo have a complicated relationship. Cejudo as well as a few other MMA fighters have not been on par with Derek’s controversial decisions. These decisions have changed the outcome of significant fights of these fighters. Cejudo recently released a YouTube video titled: “CEJUDO’S NAUGHTY LIST 2023” where Henry Cejudo went over five of his most outrageous moments and people this year.

On the list, Cejudo put Derek Cleary on top and said: “

FS Video
And at number one, a lot of you guys don't know this but this fat dirt bag by name of Derek Cleary; two out of the three fights that I've had that I've lost because this, because of him. I lost to Jospeh Benavidez and he had like his score card like four rounds to zero apparently cause I hit him in the balls. When I lost to Aljamain Sterling too. I mean come on dude, how did I lose that fifth round Derek Cleary.
Henry Cejudo via his YouTube channel
YouTube video

Earlier this May at UFC 288 Aljamain Sterling defeated Henry Cejudo by a split decision to retain his bantamweight title. The judges’ scores were 48-47 for Sterling twice and 48-47 for Cejudo. The fight between Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling was controversial because it was so close. Henry Cejudo criticized Derek Cleary for questionable judging in UFC 288.

UFC judge Derek Cleary scored a fifth round in favor of Aljamian Sterling. Some fans and Cejudo himself believed it should have gone to Henry Cejudo. Cleary was the only judge of three to award the round to Sterling. Meanwhile, the other two judges gave the round to Cejudo. The judges were split, as were the fans. Cejudo had not fought in nearly three years before the Sterling bout.

Henry Cejudo and Joseph Benavidez’s controversial fight at The Ultimate Fighter 24

Henry Cejudo and Joseph Benavidez are former flyweight title challengers who coached on The Ultimate Fighter 24. They fought right after the show aired. They fought in a flyweight bout where Benavidez emerged victorious via decision. Joseph Benavidez’s win in 2016 was controversial due to a point deduction in the first round.

Henry Cejudo Joseph Benavidez
Henry Cejudo lost to Joseph Benavidez (Image via X)

Derek Cleary deducted points prompting Cejudo to label the bout a complete robbery. Derek Cleary scored the Joseph Benavidez vs. Henry Cejudo fight 29-27 in favor of Benavidez, contributing to a controversial decision at the finale. Marcos Rosales, another judge, scored it 29-27 for Cejudo, resulting in a split decision. The disagreement led to criticism and debate within the MMA community.

Despite similar criticism in multiple instances, Cleary has defended himself. He stated that he was not influenced by public opinion and believed in the fairness of his decisions. He acknowledged the scrutiny but emphasized the importance of judges making decisions based on their assessments.

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