Melissa Gatto questions judges after majority draw at UFC Vegas 122
The Brazilian believes she did enough to defeat Ernesta Kareckaite and is already asking the UFC for another fight in December.
Melissa Gatto was left disappointed after her fight against Ernesta Kareckaite ended in a majority draw at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday. Confident she had done enough to walk out of the Octagon victorious, the Brazilian questioned the judges' decision. Now, Gatto wants to get back to the cage as soon as possible.
Melissa Gatto Disagrees With UFC Vegas 122 Result
Gatto and Kareckaite delivered a closely contested fight in Las Vegas. However, in the Brazilian's opinion, she had the edge in the matchup. According to Gatto, she won the first and third rounds while Kareckaite took the second. The Brazilian was particularly surprised by the result and revealed that even her opponent congratulated her after the fight.
"I didn't expect that," Gatto told Ag Fight. "I thought I had won, and she also thought I had won. She congratulated me. Honestly, I didn't understand it. I thought I won the first round, they deducted a point from her, and I did lose the second round, but I won the third. When they announced the majority draw, I was in disbelief. I really thought it was a judging error."
In fact, Kareckaite was deducted a point in the first round after repeatedly holding onto the cage. In the third round, Gatto secured a takedown, transitioned to Kareckaite's back and locked in a deep armbar. The Lithuanian fighter was saved by the bell.
Melissa Gatto Regrets Late Armlock Attempt
The Brazilian reflected on the armlock she nearly secured in the closing seconds of the fight. Although she believed the submission was tight, there was not enough time to force a finish before the round ended. Gatto now regrets not attempting the submission earlier.
"I even regret not trying that armlock about 20 seconds earlier," Gatto said. "It was really tight, even with just one second left, when the referee had already put his hand on it. I saw that it was locked in well. Maybe I should have tried it with about 15 seconds left."
Despite her disappointment, Gatto is eager to return to the Octagon and is open to facing any opponent, including Kareckaite in a rematch. The Brazilian has already made her next request to the promotion.
"At this point, I'll take whoever they give me," Gatto said. "It could even be her again, a rematch. I took this one personally (laughs). I want to come back right away. UFC, please, book me to fight in December."
