Will there ever be a UFC event that doesn’t leave fans fuming over the scorecards? At this point, it feels unlikely. During UFC Winnipeg at the Canada Life Centre, one of the preliminary bouts ignited controversy, as fans and media alike are calling out what they see as blatantly poor judging.

In front of her home crowd, Jamey-Lyn Horth clashed with JJ Aldrich. Using her jab, size, and speed, Horth appeared to control the first round and land the more impactful combinations. Aldrich struggled to match Horth’s pace, attempting a takedown but failing to secure it. Horth continued to dictate the striking in round two, mixing in kicks while answering Aldrich’s counters. 

Needing urgency, Aldrich improved in the third with higher output and better timing in exchanges. Despite Horth appearing ahead, Aldrich earned a surprising unanimous decision victory. The judges scored the fight 29-28 all in Aldrich’s favor. The backlash was quick, as media members took to social media to blast the judges. 

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Was Jamey-Lyn Horth robbed at UFC Winnipeg? 

Adam Marin, a sports writer, quickly pulled up stats from the fight to make his point. “Here are the final stats for Horth vs. Aldrich. Stats aren’t everything, but it was pretty obvious who should have won this fight,” he wrote. The stats showed that Horth had landed more significant strikes in all three rounds and more total strikes in all three rounds. He later added, “Absolute garbage judging. Screw these judges. Bunch of bums.”

MMA Junkie reporter Danny Segura claimed he scored the fight 29-28 for Aldrich. He posted: “It’s funny how when ya’ll blast me for my scoring, my scoring usually aligns with that of the judges, who are trained professionals. Aldrich won rounds 2 & 3. Somewhat of a close fight. But watch it again; Horth didn’t do much in the last 10 minutes of the fight.” Despite his take, Segura appears to be in the small fraction of people who thought the fight could have gone either way and didn’t mind the final result.

Meanwhile, MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin wasn’t expecting much from the referee either. “Jerin Valel is refereeing. Expect him to f–k something up,” he commented. However, there wasn’t much controversy from the referee’s side this time.

Valel has been with the promotion for a long time and has officiated UFC fights in Canada before, including at UFC 297, where he raised Charles Jourdain’s hand when Bruce Buffer announced Sean Woodson the winner. He even lost his interim job with the Government of Manitoba after violating a travel directive to go to Vegas for referee duties for a UFC event in April 2021.

Another fan, too, was dissatisfied with his officiating of the bout in Winnipeg. “Jerin Valel is a TERRIBLE referee,” they wrote on X. These sentiments could stem from his controversial scorecards and refereeing moments dating as far back as UFC 186 in April 2015.

Another MMA Analyst, Liam Picks Fights, on X, felt it was one of the worst decisions. “Dead serious, that was 30-27, Horth. One of the worst decisions I have ever seen in all my years watching MMA. If you bet Horth, you were robbed, and I am sorry for you. These judges need to be held accountable,” he commented.

Meanwhile, this user had an interesting question. “If Lyn Horth didn’t just get robbed, why did Aldrich not get a post-fight interview? That was just so suspect lol,” the user wrote. There could be many reasons behind it, which currently remain unclear. 

While the result is official, the overwhelming fan and media backlash ensures the debate over judging standards in the UFC will continue long after the lights go down in Winnipeg.