UFC 308 commentators fueling ‘hate against Arabs’, claims furious fighter from Russia

UFC 308 star Rinat Fakhretdinov blames biased commentary for an unbalanced view of the Arabic grudge in the win over Carlos Leal.

UFC 308 commentators fueling ‘hate against Arabs’, claims furious fighter from Russia

UFC 308's Rinat Fakhretdinov pins commentary bias for Arabic hate and 'robbery' notions against Carlos Leal (Source: X)

UFC 308 promised an intriguing welterweight showdown as Rinat Fakhretdinov met UFC debutant and PFL finalist Carlos Leal. Given the UFC/PFL rift, the prize debut and the scope of facing the undefeated Russian fighter was quite the one. However, Fakhretdinov’s controversial win saw the blemish of bias yet again.

The UFC 308 prelims saw Rinat Fakhretdinov slow in the win column. Fakhretdinov defeated Carlos Leal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Many, including play-by-play team Daniel Cormier, Paul Felder, and Jon Anik, questioned his scoring live. Even though he found success in strike pockets, pressing against the cage. Fakhretdinov’s takedowns were less than effective as the rival broke away.

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Mike Bell and David Lethaby scored 29-28, while Hadi Mohamed Ali inked 30-27. The American Top Team (ATT) fighter rightly got the bill for not registering impactful damage. The MMA clique soon flooded social media chatboards with his picture and the caption “robbery”. On the lines of what he thinks was biased commentary, Fakhretdinov now fires back.

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Why were you surprised [to media team and commentators]?…It was pretty close, it could have gone either way, you know [but]…So after your words, people will say again the Arabs bought the decision [chuckles]

Rinat Fakhretdinov during UFC 308 post-fight interviews
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Arabian fights and the Saudi influence inside the UFC’s long-term partnership always see blame for buying decisions. Perhaps a location pandering? Many pin it on Arab meddling and PPV overhaul when select fighters win a brawl without a finish. Now Rinat Fakhretdinov meets the same fate against Carlos Leal at UFC 308. ‘Gladiator’ has his theories.

It’s always part of a tide against Middle Eastern combatants where they don’t do right. It’s either bundles of play-by-play bias towards them from the micsman. Or it’s the other way around, where excessive deliberation makes the fanbase think they performed poorly and yet got the “W” due to dubious scoring. There’s excessive coaching; now Fakhretdinov pins it on excessive play-by-play input.

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Behind Enemy Lines means always controversial

Even before the latest UFC 308 pay-per-view (PPV) offering, Fakhretdinov was always a stretchy fighter. That in itself is a yellow card territory when UFC CEO Dana White glazes up those elusive finishes. Not everyone outboxes constantly like Islam Makhachev and beats people in their own game. Not everyone is dominant from the top mount like Khabib Nurmagomedov. But even if he was a big part of the one-sided fight, location is always part of it, too.

UFC 308 latest in line of grudge and blame of DCT Abu Dhabi meddling
UFC 308 latest in line of grudge and blame of DCT Abu Dhabi meddling (Source: brobible.com/X)

All the kingsmen and guards and even Humpty Dumpty like Arabic and Saudi GEA influence into combat sports. All behave and make weight for the occasion. Saudi GEA’s extended partnership with UFC®(NYSE: TKO Holdings) is especially one for ages. However, even though the Kingdom crowd is one of the most neutral ones, there’s always blame for bias in “enemy” territory.

Before Dustin Poirier met ‘Eagle’ in Abu Dhabi, there was this narrative. It is the same with Justin Gaethje and with Dan Hooker vs. 155lber Makhachev. The fan clique often refers to alleged shady scoring due to the dubious bias of home-grown fighters. Cormier himself has been part of the equation with his friendship with Khabib and AKA Co. However, even though he went against Rinat Fakhretdinov, the public still calls foul on biased scoring towards the Russian welterweight.

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Area-oriented brawls have their merit. Check on Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveria to see what it had to offer. But no matter what, no matter if a fight is one-sided or not, there can be blame for regional bias or area pandering. GEA and DCT Abu Dhabi also face heavy blame for streaming overhauls or favoring local fighters. The latest card might prove that evermore.