It’s been just a week since UFC Freedom 250 delivered a night full of action and controversy, and the promotion followed it up almost immediately with another event at the Apex. UFC Vegas 119 wasted no time creating drama of its own, as the opening bout between featherweight debutants Shane Collins and Otari Tanzilovi turned highly controversial, once again placing the judges at the center of the fans’ growing frustration.

Following a very close three-round battle, the judges declared Collins the winner via unanimous decision. All three judges, Chris Lee, Ron McCarthy, and Tony Weeks, scored the fight 30-27 for the American. Though many found that scorecard difficult to justify, the fight itself paints a more nuanced picture.

Collins started the first round by pressuring his opponent with well-timed leg kicks and knees. While Tanzilovi secured a takedown, Collins got back to his feet without taking much damage and quickly resumed picking his shots. That was largely the story of the fight throughout all three rounds. The Georgian showcased an exceptional ground game by landing five takedowns during the 15-minute contest. However, the overall damage appeared to favor Collins.

Thanks to his ability to consistently get back on his feet, the Las Vegas-based fighter pressured Tanzilovi and scored with leg kicks and well-timed right hands. By the end of the fight, Collins held an advantage in significant strikes, landing 76 compared to Tanzilovi’s 58. In fact, the 26-year-old American also edged out his opponent in significant strikes on a round-by-round basis. Also, it’s worth noting that Collins came close to submitting Tanzilovi on three occasions, nearly locking in fight-ending chokes three times, which likely worked heavily in his favor with the judges.

As for overall control time, Tanzilovi certainly had success there, accumulating more than 4:14, but Collins answered with 2:34 of his own. Taking all those factors into account, the judges’ awarding the decision to Shane Collins doesn’t seem nearly as unreasonable. Still, many fans believed Tanzilovi deserved to have his hand raised, and they didn’t mince words while criticizing the judges once again.

UFC Vegas 119 opening fight ignites controversy as fans call out judges

One fan declared, “Robbery. 5-0 in takedowns and Otar did way more damage.” A different fan commented, “30-27? Holy robbery bro, w—f was that? Tanzilovi won that fight.” Following that, another user reacted, writing, “Shame to UFC!!!! Tanzilovi won 2 rounds 100%!!! Biggest shame to UFC!!!”

While Tanzilovi did land five well-timed takedowns, Collins repeatedly made it back to his feet and resumed pressing the action. Most of the rounds ended with the American leading the exchanges, and that, combined with his submission attempts, likely swayed the judges in his favor. Even outlets like MMA Junkie scored the fight for Collins. Still, many fans remained convinced and felt the Georgian should have emerged victorious.

One X user wrote, “Judges clearly saw a different fight than the rest of us.” Another user commented, “I guess you don’t get points from takedowns anymore.”

When it comes to takedowns, simply securing them without dealing meaningful damage often isn’t enough under the modern MMA judging criteria. Merab Dvalishvili has become a prime example of that, as he combines his relentless takedowns with ground-and-pound, clinch strikes, and constant pressure to overwhelm opponents like Umar Nurmagomedov. In that regard, the former champion’s wrestling works because it is paired with effective offense throughout the fight.

Another fan seemed completely convinced that Collins won based on his striking performance and commented rather harshly toward those who believed the Georgian deserved the decision, “Only lovers of n—t huggers thought Collins lost that fight. If you did, go watch RAF and JO.”

While fans remained largely unhappy with how the judges scored the UFC Vegas 119 opener, the fight stats themselves arguably point toward a legitimate victory for Shane Collins based on his three submission attempts and edge on significant strikes.