Rory MacDonald is calling for a probe into the manner of his defeat to Gleison Tibau on Thursday night’s PFL event.

After going to a decision, most watching were convinced that MacDonald had done enough to ease to a clear-cut 30-27 win against Brazilian veteran Tibau but instead the scores were announced as a split decision against MacDonald, prompting the Canadian fighter — and most watching at home — to bemoan that cageside judges.

Speaking to the media afterwards, MacDonald outlined what he saw as a “clear robbery”.

“I’m very disappointed,” MacDonald said. “I believe and everyone I talked to, and everyone online, scored the fight for me. Even three rounds to zero, so I think it was a clear robbery. I thought I was dominant in this fight. It was a hard fight. Gleison brought it, and respect to him, but I believe that I clearly won that fight and I think that this should be looked into.

“I was totally sure,” MacDonald said of his belief that he was about to have his hand raised. “I was so surprised when the first judge, they announced and scored it for him. I was shocked. But when I heard the split decision that he got it, I was blown away. What do you say? I just didn’t see it that way at all.

“We shouldn’t have to as fighters, as competitors (worry about the decision),” MacDonald said. “We should be able to fight and rest easy that we have competent, fair, truthful judging in our sport. It shouldn’t be something that we have to worry about and stick our necks out on the line and our health to do something stupid. It’s just crazy. We don’t have this in any other major sporting even. It just seems like over and over and over again, we’re getting this in our sport and it’s just a real shame.”