Judge who scored Pimblett fight under review by athletic commission

A general view of the Octagon during the UFC Fight Night 162 event in Kallang, Singapore, featuring Demian Maia vs. Ben Askren. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Veteran judge Doug Crosby is under review by the athletic commission.

A controversial judge who scored the UFC 282 co-main event in favor of Paddy Pimblett is under review by the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department, per MMA Fighting.

The judge in question is Doug Crosby. He came under fire for his 50-45 scorecard in last weekend’s Bellator 289 main event featuring Danny Sabatello vs. Raufeon Stots, scoring the bout in favor of Sabatello, who lost the fight.

Crosby was the only judge on the panel to score the bout for Sabatello, with fellow judges Eric Colon and Bryan Miner scoring the fight 48-47 in favor of Stots, who won via split decision.

Mohegan Athletic Department Director of Athletics Mike Mazzulli said Crosby is now under review by the commission and that this isn’t an issue they are taking lightly, stating: “One judge had Sabatello winning all five rounds, which is controversial. But ultimately Stots won the decision, which is the correct result. In an effort to make this a learning moment, I have informed all three judges we will be reviewing the fight together.”

Another note on Douglas Crosby:

Per @MMADecisions, Crosby did not judge a UFC event (where he entered a completed scorecard) in Nevada since July 5, 2014 (UFC 175) until Oct. 16, 2021

Nearly the entirety of Bob Bennett's tenure as NSAC Executive Director (04/2014 - 11/2021).

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 13, 2022

“This is a very serious situation, he added. “The Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department always looks out for the best interests of all fighters. In the past the Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department has sanctioned officials that are not performing to the level that is required. Such sanctions, when they occur, are not made public.”

The veteran judge also had Pimblett beating Gordon 29-28 despite 23 of the 24 MMA media outlets scoring the contest in favor of Gordon (h/t MMA Mania). Pimblett believes he won the fight fairly and branded those who criticized his performance as haters.