Paul Felder's coach reveals staggering amount of money lost due to judges decision at UFC Auckland
Paul Felder lost a narrow split decision to Dan Hooker in the main event of UFC Auckland. The result has been somewhat polarizing, with a large part of the fan base believing that Felder got a clear victory (primarily due to superior striking numbers) and that Hooker got the "hometown nod" from the judges.
Legendary referee 'Big' John McCarthy said that it wasn't a robbery and it could have gone either way, with both men having a fair claim to a win, even though he admitted that Felder landed better strikes in round five and Dan Hooker did nothing with the takedown he landed.
Paul Felder's coach Duke Roufus is understandably furious at the judges' decision and appeared on The Luke Thomas Show on Sirius XM (H/T BJPENN.com), where he explained how it affected Felder:
“I don’t have much confidence anymore in judges,” Roufus said of this Felder vs. Hooker decision. “All these kids, when things don’t go well for them and they have a bad performance, they’re expected to go to the press conference and give all their answers, all their reasons. Guys like you call me up after a fight and good, bad, or indifferent, I answer your questions as painfully as they are sometimes when we crap the bed as a team. Whereas all the referees and judges they get to vanish into thin air.
He offered a solution, stating that there should be five judges. He also said that they shouldn't be "fans" of the sport, but "students" of it. He revealed that the decision cost Paul Felder and his family a staggering $82,000:
That’s the problem with judging. When judges make mistakes, they get to home with the same paycheck. Paul Felder lost $82,000 because of the judges. That’s a considerable income. Do I think he’s worth more? For sure, but at the end of day, that’s $82,000. That’s a lot of milk money.”
It's certainly a tough pill to swallow when that much money is on the line. It brings up questions about the judging, but the bigger picture isn't that - it's about UFC's pay structure - something that has been criticized by fighters, media, and fans alike.