The world of combat sports delivered a mixed bag of results this past weekend, featuring a highly debated boxing decision in Manchester and significant ranking shake-ups following an eventful, if not spectacular, UFC event in Abu Dhabi.
Boxing: Buatsi Secures Controversial Win Over Parker
In a light heavyweight clash that ignited debate across social media, Joshua Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) earned a controversial majority decision victory over Zach Parker in Manchester, England, on Saturday. The fight was widely criticized for its lack of action and frequent clinching, leading many observers to believe Parker had done enough in the early rounds to secure the win.
Two judges scored the bout 96-94 for Buatsi, while a third had it even at 95-95. Post-fight, Buatsi admitted, "I must admit it wasn't my best performance. But what do champions do? They win at all costs." Despite avoiding a second consecutive loss, Buatsi's performance saw him drop from ESPN's No. 7 to No. 10 in the light heavyweight rankings.
MMA: Dern Crowned Champion as UFC 321 Shakes Up Rankings
UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi may have been anticlimactic in its overall presentation, but it certainly left its mark on the ESPN divisional rankings. The biggest story of the night was the crowning of a new strawweight champion, Mackenzie Dern, who defeated Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision to claim the title vacated by Zhang Weili.
Dern's dominant performance saw her make a significant leap of four spots to No. 2 in the strawweight division, now sitting just behind Zhang, who is expected to move up to challenge for the women's flyweight belt. Jandiroba, previously ranked No. 2, slid down one position.
Elsewhere, the event led to other notable shifts: Azamat Murzakanov entered the light heavyweight rankings at No. 6 following a first-round knockout of Aleksandar Rakic, who dropped to No. 8. In the men's bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov moved up a spot to No. 3 after a unanimous decision win over Mario Bautista. The heavyweight division, however, saw no changes to its top two contenders, Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, following their eye-poke no contest.