"This is fiction" - MMA fighters and fans react as alleged "robbery" spoils Carla Esparza's retirement fight against Tecia Pennington at UFC 307

MMA fighters and fans worldwide have voiced their concern over the judges scoring following Carla Esparza's loss against Tecia Pennigton at UFC 307. While some criticized the judges and even demanded that one of them be taken off the remaining fight card, others claimed that Esparza had been robbed.

Esparza faced Pennigton in the early prelims of UFC 307, which is currently taking place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 35-year-old seemed the better of the two, as she was able to land strong strikes and injure her opponent. However, Esparza took control of the fight by taking down 'The Tiny Tornado' to the canvas before the end of the opening round.

There wasn't much of a difference in the second round as Esparza and Pennigton picked up the pace late and engaged in a fiery exchange. However, 'Cookie Monster' ended the third round on a positive note, completing her takedown. After three rounds of action, Pennigton got her hand raised via unanimous decision. The judges scored the contest (28-29 x2, 27-30), which raised many eyebrows among the MMA community.

Following Esparza's loss, Chael Sonnen took to X and criticized the judges, writing:

''This is fiction. Best judge in the business isn’t assigned tonight. At least he will be at the Garden in Nov.''

Aljamain Sterling wrote:

''Respectfully…idk if that was correct. But I’m not a judge #UFC307''

Henry Cejudo expressed his admiration for Esparza, writing:

''Congratulations on a remarkable career @CarlaEsparza1 #UFC307''

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Fans soon rushed to the comment section of UFC News' post on X to share their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''30-27 is actually insanely stupid, what a robbery''

Another fan stated:

''Giving Tecia the first round is criminal''

Other fans wrote:

''Robbed @CarlaEsparza1''

''Should be a loss for both, awful fight''

Check out more reactions below: