At UFC Vegas 118 tonight, Brazilian ring girl-turned-pro MMA fighter Jeisla Chaves’ story entered a new chapter. The Bahia native made a successful UFC debut against Yuneisy Duben in their flyweight bout at UFC Apex, improving her record to 7-0. Despite the win, the achievement was overshadowed by a controversial scorecard.

After the three-round battle, Jeisla Chaves secured the victory via split decision, with two judges, Ron McCarthy and Clemens Werner, scoring the fight in her favor and awarding her 29-28 on both scorecards. But the third judge, Tony Weeks, ended up giving the fight to her opponent with a 29-28 scorecard, a decision that many found baffling.

Going by the fight itself, Chaves used a measured approach, landing single punches and chopping leg kicks on her opponent. For two rounds, the Brazilian’s strategy worked effectively as she stayed a step ahead of Duben. However, in the third round, her opponent pushed the pace and ended up winning the round. Still, many outlets had Chaves winning the first two rounds, which should have resulted in a unanimous decision rather than a split.

Though the scorecard reflected a controversial decision, the result remains positive for the Brazilian, especially considering her journey to the UFC. Jeisla Chaves, who grew up in Poções, a small town in Bahia, Brazil, started her mixed martial arts journey as a ring girl in local Muay Thai promotions after an old friend recommended the career avenue to her.

But she eventually fell in love with the discipline and began training under her current coach. After some time, Chaves’ coach noticed potential in her, so they began incorporating other MMA disciplines into her training. Eventually, the 29-year-old found herself competing inside the cage.

Chaves’ breakout moment arrived when she went to war with Sofia Montenegro last September on Dana White’s Contender Series, a fight that she won. The performance turned out to be so impressive that Dana White ended up signing both of them. Now, Jeisla Chaves can proudly call herself a UFC fighter after making her debut at UFC Vegas 118.

Though the ring girl-turned-UFC fighter delivered an impressive performance and secured a win, fans didn’t mince their words while calling out the judges for scoring her fight as a split decision.

Fans call out judges after ring girl-turned-MMA fighter wins debut at UFC Vegas 118

One fan chimed in and wrote, “How was that split?” But another user didn’t find the decision controversial at all, writing, “First and second rounds were hers. Definitely not controversial whatsoever.” Another fan also scored the fight in Chaves’ favor, writing, “Clearly 2-1 Chaves, idk why split decision lmao.”

Well, according to ESPN FightCenter’s stats, Chaves and Duben were fairly close, with both landing 64 and 62 strikes, respectively. Even the takedown numbers were similar, with Chaves landing three and Duben landing four. However, the Brazilian UFC fighter edged her opponent in the first two rounds, and that factor alone led many fans to believe the fight should have been a unanimous decision win for Chaves.

A fan also shared the same sentiment and wrote, “So clearly unanimous she was -10,000 live having someone judge that that thinks she lost is dangerous for the sport.” After all, ‘A Braba’ entered the fight as the betting favorite, and she largely lived up to those expectations with her performance.

Still, if one judge scored the fight the other way, it could have spoiled her UFC debut. That’s why another fan took a shot at the judge who scored the fight for her opponent, writing, “Tony Weeks lol.”

Now, while Chaves received plenty of support from fans, some weren’t impressed by her performance. One wrote, “Not impressed,” and another followed up with, “Cut her.” While it wasn’t the flashiest performance from the Brazilian, debut appearances can often be about securing the result rather than chasing a highlight-reel finish. As Chaves climbs the ranks, she would likely display polished and entertaining performances.

UFC Vegas 118 remained fairly clean overall, with several fights ending in brutal finishes. However, Jeisla Chaves’ scorecard controversy remained one of the event’s most talked-about moments.