- Judge Howie Booth was removed from the panel due to brawl
- Fans demanded his head after shocking result
- UFC 305 also saw a terrifying victory over Jesus
Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa suffered his fifth straight defeat after losing a split decision to Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 305 in Perth. But a judge’s scoreboard made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Tuivasa was left reeling in the second round of Sunday’s fight at a sold-out RAC Arena, but judge Howie Booth left fans shocked and angry as he won the three-round contest against the Australian 30-27.
The other two judges gave Rozenstruik a score of 30-27 and 29-28. That means Tuivasa has not won in the octagon fight since February 2022.
Booth was then removed from the judging panel for another fight on the schedule: Steve Erceg vs. Kai Kara-France.
Fans went into an uproar on social media after the scorecards were read out.
’30-27 to Tai Tuivasa is possibly one of the worst scorecards ever. Fire that judge immediately,’ wrote one.
’30-27 in favor of Tai!? Judge Howie Booth needs to be fired!’ added another.
MMA reporter Mike Bohn wrote: ’30-27 scorecard for Tai Tuivasa. That is absolutely insane.’
It was clear to fight fans that Tai Tuivasa (left) lost his UFC 305 fight to Jairzinho Rozenstruik (right) – but one judge saw it very differently… and lost his job as a result
Tuivasa (right) was blown out in the second round and couldn’t score a late knockout
Many fans agreed with every word of this tweet after judge Howie Booth scored the match for Tuivasa, 30-27
Another fight fan said Booth’s performance “might be the worst scoreboard of all time in the UFC.”
To stop the decline, Tuivasa flew to Dubai to train for his final fight, hoping the change of scenery would help him avoid distractions like his friends and the pub.
The opening round was subdued with neither fighter able to land any significant blows.
The second round erupted with two minutes remaining when Rozenstruik struck after Tuivasa injured his leg during a kick.
Rozenstruik landed a series of hard blows, leaving Tuivasa bleeding and fighting for his survival, but the Australian managed to strike back a few more times to ensure he made it to the bell.
Australian Stewart Nicoll looked lifeless on the mat (pictured) during the undercard of UFC 305 when he was choked unconscious by Jesus Aguilar
Aguilar (left) showed great sportsmanship as he manipulated Nicoll’s legs to get the blood flowing back to his head in terrifying scenes immediately after his victory
Tuivasa was hit with a few more solid blows in the third round, but his final series of punches in an attempt to knock him out fell short.
There was a sickening moment in an undercard fight when Australian Stewart Nicoll was knocked unconscious after being choked by Jesus Aguilar in the first round.
The Mexican’s guillotine choke was incredibly effective, but the referee didn’t realise how much the Australian was struggling until Aguilar warned him.
“He’s out, he’s asleep!” came the cry from the American commentators as Aguilar stepped off Nicoll, who looked lifeless on the Octagon floor.
Aguilar then showed great sportsmanship by grabbing his opponent’s legs and moving them back and forth in an attempt to get the blood back to his head.
Nicoll quickly recovered and was able to get up to congratulate his rival on the victory before they left the Octagon.
