Though the low-profile nature of the fighters on the UFC 104 card has presented massive mainstream controversy from brewing, there has undoubtedly been a sense within the mixed martial arts community that the judges got it wrong with the UFC 104 “Machida vs. Shogun” main event.
By no means would critics and observers argue that the decision was the worst in UFC history, but because the decision in the Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Rua” Shogun main event decided the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, the questionable scoring is among the most significant alleged judging errors in the promotion’s history.
The fact that neither fighter truly “dominated” the bout makes it hard to treat the decision as an ultimate screwjob, but as Rua’s strategy of utilizing leg and body kicks to destroy Machida’s base was the only offensive gameplan that truly succeeded, the feeling among observers was that “Shogun” clearly won the fight.
The judges disagreed, however, giving Machida, the champion, a unanimous 48-47 victory. On the official scorecard, Nelson Hamilton gave rounds 2, 3 and 4 to Machida. Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales gave the champion the first three rounds.
As UFC President Dana White shared the critical belief that Shogun won the fight, he has teased booking an immediate Machida-Shogun rematch.