UFC 212 scorecards: Judges unanimously gave Raphael Assuncao round 3 vs. Marlon Moraes

The scorecards were all over the place for Marlon Moraes’ UFC debut against Raphael Assuncao.

Marlon Moraes’ UFC debut did not go according to plan. The former WSOF bantamweight champion dropped a split decision to Raphael Assuncao at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Truth be told, it wasn’t an action-filled fight, with neither man convincingly stating their case for winning either of the first two rounds. Assuncao hurt Moraes early in round 3 with a hard right hand, but Moraes appeared to have control of the remainder of the final frame. However, according to the three judges at cageside, they all saw the final round in Assuncao’s favor.

The scorecards were all over the shop, as you might expect. Heading into round 3, Guilherme Bravo had it even, so it’s really his card that swung the fight Assuncao’s way. Judge Fabio Alves had Moraes up 20-18, while Phillipe Iorio scored the bout 20-18 Assuncao.

Assuncao has a remarkable knack for winning close fights. Dating back to his days in the WEC, he has had five split decisions and won four of them, with only Diego Nunes able to earn a split nod against him. He continues to rack up the wins at 135, with his only loss in the division coming against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 200.