A UFC lightweight star is now taking steps to reclaim what he believes was a wrongly taken win after claiming the judges got the math wrong. UFC 327 is already in the history books, but controversy from the early prelims has only started building, with the result of the fight between Chris Padilla and Marquel Mederos.
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In a closely contested three-round bout, Bruce Buffer first announced ‘Taco’ as the winner via majority decision, while scorecards read 28-29 (x2) in favor of Mederos and 29-28 in favor of Padilla. That was the first error. However, Jon Anik announced that two judges had actually corrected the score of the fight 28-28, which would, in turn, shift the result into a majority draw. Chris Padilla has not accepted the change in outcome. He has now formally approached the FSAC, requesting a review and a possible overturn of the UFC 327 result. His team has also confirmed the development. At the same time, Padilla has also criticized the scorecard.
UFC 327 athlete moves to the commission to challenge fight result
“I believe I won that fight clearly under the scoring criteria; in damage, control, and overall impact,” Padilla wrote. “It’s tough to accept that the fight was even close on the scorecards, especially when the performance spoke for itself along with the point deduction given to my opponent.
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I respect the judges, but I stand by what I did in there, and I believe this decision deserves to be reviewed.”
Chris Padilla and Marquel Mederos delivered a matchup that proved anything but ordinary. From the opening round, the California native pushed forward aggressively and applied constant pressure on Marquel Mederos. However, Mederos, in turn, responded with sharper, more technical striking and landed cleaner, more accurate shots throughout the exchanges.
The momentum shifted in the third round when officials accused Mederos of multiple eye pokes on Padilla and, as a result, the referee deducted a point. That moment significantly complicated the scorecard scenario and added to the controversy surrounding the result.
The majority of the confusion here is because Buffer announced Padilla as the winner when two of the three judges had initially picked Mederos. The point deduction brought his 29-28 scorecards (Derek Clear and Eliseo Rodruiguez) to 28-28, and Padilla’s winning scorecard (from judge Solimar Miranda) to 29-27.
Chris Padilla and his team have submitted a formal protest in regards to the scoring of his #UFC327 matchup with Marquel Medeiros, his team tells me. Padilla was announced the winner, and then the fight was changed to a majority draw around an hour later. More coming to…
— Mike Heck (@MikeHeck_JR) April 12, 2026
The case now rests with the commission, which will review Chris Padilla’s appeal. In similar situations, commissions have previously exercised their authority to reassess outcomes. Last year, in the bout between Mansur Abdul-Malik and Cody Brundage at UFC Atlanta, Brundage appealed the result to the Georgia State Athletic Commission after the initial decision.
After reviewing an accidental clash of heads that forced a stoppage, the commission retroactively deducted a point from Abdul-Malik, which ultimately turned the result into a majority draw.
The UFC 327 clash between Chris Padilla and Marquel Mederos has already drawn scrutiny since fight week. During the weigh-ins, ‘Taco’ missed weight, but officials still allowed the bout to proceed at catchweight. Now that the event is officially recorded, Padilla has moved forward with his appeal. After the fight, he also addressed fans regarding the result.
Chris Padilla shares emotional post following disputed fight outcome
When Chris Padilla entered the UFC in 2024, he did not immediately turn heads, as he already had six losses in his professional MMA career. However, his performances inside the UFC quickly began to change that perception. Since his debut, ‘Taco’ has finished three of his fights, with wins coming against opponents like Ismael Bonfim (ground-and-pound), Rong Zhu (doctor stoppage), and James Llontop (rear-naked choke).
But after seeing his most recent fight turn into a draw, Padilla could not hold back his emotions. He went on X and shared his feelings, writing:
“Welp what else can I do? I gave my heart and soul,” wrote Chris Padilla on X.
Now, with an appeal filed with the commission, the decision rests in their hands. However, the situation has raised bigger questions about whether there was an error in the scorecards. Some have even questioned whether the announcer, Bruce Buffer, made a mistake while calling out the result. Meanwhile, during the UFC 327 broadcast, commentator Jon Anik also pointed out possible issues with the scoring.
What is your take on Chris Padilla’s performance at UFC 327? Do you think it was enough for him to secure the win despite the point deduction against his opponent? Drop your thoughts below.
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Edited by
Yeswanth Praveen