A couple of judges indirectly affected the livelihood of a very talented Brazilian fighter.
The spring of 2009 brought Thales Leites a title shot at UFC gold. A few months later, Leites was cut from the organization.
After a five-round loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 97 in Montreal, Leites accepted a bout with Alessio Sakara at UFC 101.
Leites knew he had to impress or his job with the UFC would be in jeopardy. But from the onset, it was not to be his night.
Watch MMA Connected this week as Thales Leites shares with Sportsnet his thoughts about his last fight and subsequent dismissal from the UFC.
He was supposed to be called to the Octagon after Sakara, but instead, was cued first. He walked down the aisle and noticed his music was wrong -- they were playing the entrance song for his opponent. Fans were booing him mercilessly. It was not the start he was looking for.
Neither was the strange strategy of his opponent.
Sakara ran for three rounds while Leites chased him around. Media and fans were ripping Leites online, yet, he believed the obvious was right there for people to see.
"I was looking for the fight every time," said a dejected Leites, backstage at the Wachovia Center.
"I was looking for the fight -- even in the standup game -- even in the ground game and I took him down. I pass his guard. I use my knee, my elbows even in the standup game I was looking for him and he run. I don't know. I can't explain."
What was truly puzzling were the judges' scorecards. Two of the more experienced ones, Nelson Hamilton and Jeff Blatnik, scored it for Sakara, while the less traveled one scored it 30-27 for Leites.
For many who saw the fight, the latter was a true reflection of how the fight should have been scored.
Said Leites: "I (don't) agree with the judges... I didn't expect (the decision). I was like, 'Unbelievable!' I did my homework. I took him down. Even in the boxing I was better than him but I don't know why the judges gave him the victory."
The judges have now indirectly affected Leites's livelihood. He has now been cut from the UFC after two straight losses, even though UFC president Dana White stated Leites was safe.
Unfortunately for Leites, the UFC had an about-face and the reality is that they have decided to go in a different direction.
For the Brazilian middleweight, it's a tough pill to swallow considering he may have received an unwarranted dismissal after being the aggressor in the bout. He stated: "I'm here (to) fight, I was looking for a fight, that's it. I just want more chances and still fight in UFC for long years."
He will now have to ply his trade outside of the organization and hopes to one day make a return to the Octagon. If all goes well, a rematch with Sakara would be something Leites would definitely be lobbying for.
