MMA fans are often outraged when a fight is seemingly scored incorrectly, with many eager to brand the result a “robbery”. However, the term is not always warranted and can be driven by biases. This is where Robbery Review steps in. The team aims to eliminate the power of social media-driven reactions by thoroughly examining controversial bouts and determining whether the judges made the right call or not.

With the first review of 2023 now complete, it appears that the majority of matches are scored correctly – as evidenced by the fact it has taken four and a half months to find a fight worthy of review. That match was Joselyne Edwards vs Lucie Pudilova in the opening bout of UFC Kansas City.

Edwards earned a split decision victory, but the fight was highly contested. Indeed, before the judges even declared the official result, Daniel Cormier – who was performing commentary duties – expressed his shock that Pudilova had not been declared the winner given the effectiveness of her grappling.

Cormier’s opinion was supported by several professional female UFC fighters who felt that the judges had not truly watched the fight. The bout was officially scored 29-28 to Edwards by two judges, with one scoring it 29-28 to Pudilova, making the result a split decision.

The fight was promoted as a showdown between a striker and a grappler, with many expecting it to become a classic matchup between the two types. The reality was that Pudilova’s grappling dominated proceedings, with the Czech fighter seeking to take down her opponent early in the fight.

Edwards looked to counter with straight punches and attempted to prevent the takedown, but Pudilova managed to grapple her to the ground on a couple of occasions. Pudilova appeared to dominate the first two rounds of the fight, landing ground strikes, while Edwards looked to counter with jabs and kicks.

The third round saw Edwards defend Pudilova’s takedown attempts more aggressively, but neither fighter managed to dominate the fight in the final round.

The judges’ decision was highly contentious, with MMA media outlets suggesting that Pudilova was the deserved winner. Fan polls largely agreed, with the majority of voters giving Pudilova the nod.