Wells: If you look at the striking totals of the fight, it would appear that McKee may have been snubbed on the scorecards. However, striking totals alone don’t always tell the entire story of a fight, nor do they give insight into what happened in each five-minute frame. According to the stats displayed on the broadcast after the fight, McKee landed 110 strikes to Freire’s 70. Although neither fighter appeared to walk away with severe damage, the offense from “Pitbull” was sharper and more significant throughout most of the fight, even if it came at a lower output. The most significant moments of the fight were from Freire, wobbling McKee from a right and nearly submitting him with a guillotine. I believe McKee closed out the fight strong as I shared the same scorecard with judge Ron McCarthy. McKee didn’t do enough to put a stamp on the earlier rounds, allowing Freire to bank a few 10-9s and ultimately reclaim his featherweight title.
Wells’ overall score: 48-47 Freire
King: No. Output is cool and all, but it doesn’t tell the whole story, as we’ve seen time and time again. The more significant offense does, however – and that’s what Freire had throughout the first three rounds. While McKee rallied late and Round 1 was close, “Pitbull” had the more memorable moments of the bout. Even though fights aren’t scored as a whole, he would’ve won it that way, too, if they were. McKee found his timing in Round 4 and Round 5, but it was too little, too late. Antonio McKee is a great father and coach, but he did not provide the proper scoring in between rounds. That likely contributed to McKee’s mouth-opening, baffled nature. But to the rest of us, it was the correct call.
King’s overall score: 48-47 Freire
Segura: This was by no means a bad judgment, and I think the judges had it right. Heck, there’s a case to be made for a 49-46 for Freire. In the end, Freire had the more significant shots of the fight and was overall the biggest threat all throughout. It’s not a shocking result or a robbery. I thought Freire’s fight IQ and management of the rounds got him the win. I don’t think McKee was outmatched or outclassed. He just didn’t manage the fight, as well. It was a veteran performance by Freire in a massive fight.
Segura’s overall score: 48-47 Freire
Official decision: Patricio Freire def. A.J. McKee via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Official individual scores:
Derek Cleary: 48-47 Freire
Ron McCarthy: 48-47 Freire
Michael Bell: 49-46 Freire
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