On Sunday, during the main card of the UFC’s anticipated debut in Liverpool, England, America featherweight Jason Knight stepped into the cage with “Mr. Finland” Makwan Amirkhani.
It was a very close fight, as Knight seemed to win the first round with a pair of knockdowns, but Amirkhani seemed to capture the momentum in the second half, leaning on his takedowns and stifling top control. In the end, however, two of the three cage-side judges scored the fight for Amirkhani, giving him a split decision win.
Knight is not happy about this result. In the days since his loss to Amirkhani, he’s been airing his grievances on Twitter, assuring the MMA community that he, not Mr. Finland, deserved the W.
By the new rules I was supposed to win that fight … I think the UFC judges should be required to have some kind of MMA experience …. How do u lay on someone scared to death to throw any fuckin thing and win ??? Look at the fuckin stats !!! SMDH
— Jason TheKid Knight (@Jasonthekid23) May 27, 2018
“By the new rules I was supposed to win that fight,” Knight said shortly after the fight. “I think the UFC judges should be required to have some kind of MMA experience …. How do u lay on someone scared to death to throw any fuckin thing and win ??? Look at the fuckin stats !!! SMDH.”
ENOUGH SAID pic.twitter.com/rfCcHSdA1l
— Jason TheKid Knight (@Jasonthekid23) May 29, 2018
“Enough said,” Knight added in Tweet that included an image that outlined his statistical advantage in the striking department.
With his close decision loss to Amirkhani, Jason Knight stumbled onto a three-fight skid, having also recently come up short to Ricardo Lamas and Gabriel Benitez. That said, his fan-friendly style almost certainly assures him another shot inside the UFC’s Octagon. He’s 20-5 overall.
Makwan Amirkhani, meanwhile, finds himself back in the win column after an early 2017 loss to Arnold Allen. Amirkhani is now 14–3 overall.
How did you score Jason Knight and Makwan Amirkhani’s competitive fight in Liverpool? Do you think the judges got it right or wrong? Join the conversation in the comments section below.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/30/2018.