Serhiy Sidey won a controversial split decision against Garrett Armfield at UFC Edmonton, with many in the MMA community, including Sidey himself, feeling that Armfield deserved the victory.
Serhiy Sidey walked away from UFC Edmonton with a win, but he didn’t expect it when the final horn sounded. Facing Garrett Armfield in a preliminary bantamweight bout, Sidey was awarded a split decision victory that sparked debate within the MMA community.
“Close fight but I felt Armfield took RDs 1&3,” tweeted Aljamain Sterling, highlighting the need for judges to explain their rulings. Meanwhile, Terrance McKinney expressed his disbelief with a candid “Ain’t no way bruh lmfao I’m mad for Armfield.”
Michael Johnson also chimed in, criticizing the judges with, “Wow. These judges continue to screw guys!” Clearly, many were baffled by the decision.
Sidey admitted in his post-fight interview, “That was a very close fight… When the judges were scoring, I thought I lost.” He acknowledged the need to re-watch the match, noting his near submissions and the split decision win.
Armfield wasn’t pleased either. In a now-deleted tweet, he joked about investigating the judges and tagged UFC CEO Dana White and Donald Trump. Later, he clarified it was meant humorously, acknowledging split decisions are part of the sport.
Despite the controversy, Sidey adds another UFC victory to his record. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series with a controversial knockout against Ramon Taveras, he faced him again at UFC 297 where Taveras won by split decision.
Reflecting on Saturday’s fight with Armfield, Sidey said, “Garrett came out and that was the hardest fight I’ve ever had.” He praised Armfield’s wrestling and boxing skills, calling him the strongest opponent he’s faced at 135 lbs.
With valuable lessons learned, Sidey aims to return stronger. “A lot of things I can learn from this fight,” he said determinedly.