UFC 208 saw eight of the nine fights on the card end via decision, one of those fights saw former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva defeat Derek Brunson.
According to UFC President Dana White, it should have been Brunson who left with the decision that night.
“I had Brunson winning,” White said on the UFC 208 post-fight show. “I actually had the fight one (round) to one going into the third round, and I gave the third round to Brunson.”
Brunson is now in the midst of a two fight losing streak, the other loss came to Robert Whittaker by knockout at UFC Fight Night 101. Brunson even exchanged texts with White after the fight, Brunson felt he won the fight as well.
“Brunson sent me a text,” White said. “He’s obviously very upset. He said, ‘This is how I support my family, and now I don’t get my win bonus when I feel I won the fight.’ But it’s one of those things. I say it all the time. If you don’t want to get screwed by the judges, don’t let it go to the judges. It has nothing to do with me. He can text me, and I can feel for him, but it has nothing to do with me. You have to beat your opponent, and you have the beat the judges unfortunately. That’s the business.”
While Silva is the longest reigning UFC Middleweight Champion in the promotions history, Brunson was ranked #8 in the division prior to the loss.