Edson Barboza Is Unable to Legally Appeal Loss to Dan Ige
UFC Florida seemed to have a common theme throughout the night. As the card progressed, there were some razor close decisions that could have gone either way. However, in the eyes of the fans, most of the decisions that the judges made were wrong. Especially when it came to Edson Barboza vs Dan Ige. Of course, it’s been suggested by the court of public opinion that Barboza should apply to contest the loss. And although Barboza would appeal the loss, he’s actually not even able to.
Fans were particularly perplexed by the decisions that the judges made in three particular fights. Claudia Gadelha vs Angela Hill, Song Yadong vs Marlon Vera, and Barboza vs Ige. Virtually everybody who witnessed the fight between Edson and Ige believed that Barboza won. However, the Florida judges did not.
Barboza and His Team Explains Loss to Ige
As bad as their team wants to appeal the loss, they simply can’t do it in the state of Florida. Barboza’s manager, Alex Davis, spoke to MMA Junkie and explained how they would handle the loss.
“We wanted to come in front of them and analyze the fight and show them the decision was wrong. They can’t allow it because for that to happen, I would have to accuse the judges of fraud, or Ige of having taken (performance-enhancing drugs),” said Davis.
“I have no suspicion of fraud, and I don’t think he takes PEDs. I think he’s a great fighter, and he fought really well. I can’t appeal because of that.
“The whole world saw Edson winning that fight. Nothing against Ige, he fought a great fight, and he’s a tough guy and all props to him. But the problem is, from our perspective, the scoring was wrong. We should be able to take a fight before the commission and appeal, and if they think the scoring is wrong they should be able to overturn. That doesn’t happen here. The law doesn’t permit it to.”
Fighting in Florida
Lots of fighters and fans have vocalized their frustrations with the way that judges score events in the state of Florida. At times, it seems like they truly don’t understand the details of the sport and how it’s actually scored. Unfortunately, they’re one of the few places who are actually showcasing sports during the global virus. It’s probably safe to say that Edson Barboza won’t be fighting in the state of Florida anytime again soon.
