UFC CEO Dana White shared his opinion regarding the judging notes of the fight between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa.
As a reminder, Strickland defeated Costa by split decision as referee Dave Tirelli favored the Brazilian in four of the five rounds. The other two judges saw the American win by unanimous decision.
White said at a press conference:
It wasn't weird, it was f-king nuts, insane. That guy should never ref a big fight again. They should kick him back down to the minor leagues and let him work on his judging. I mean, how could anybody who isn't an absolute f-king lunatic call that fight a split decision?
Strickland, 33, had his previous fight at UFC 297 in January 2024, losing to Dricus du Plessis by split decision. He has 29 wins and six losses on his record.
Costa, 33, previously stepped into the octagon in February 2024 at UFC 298, losing to Robert Whittaker by unanimous decision. He has 14 wins and four losses on his record.