Is Arman Tsarukian vs. Charles Oliveira worth the controversy?

Bourne: This was similar to the first round in that Oliveira had the biggest moment of the round with a Dulce choke attempt, forcing Tsarukian to go prone to relieve some of the pressure. It was a development. The optics of the defense, in which he essentially made himself go limp, weren't great, but jiu-jitsu enthusiasts knew what he was doing and that the submission attempt wasn't actually all that dangerous. I know, that's why Oliveira was sticking his tongue out and making a face to show the judges and the audience that moment. But other than that, it was mostly Tsarukyan's round. He outscored Oliveira 18 to 5 in key strikes, again scoring the only takedown and having more than double his control time. Oliveira wasn't effective enough to take the rounds.

Bourne Score: 10-9 Tsarukian

Samano: After what I would describe as an inconsequential striking sequence, the round got interesting when Tsarukyan shot in and scored a double leg takedown with about 2:40 left. However, Oliveira once again found a way to quickly reduce the damage by capturing Tsarukian's head. It wasn't until the 1:50 mark that Oliveira finally let go of his neck, which allowed Tsarukian to get into side control and eventually get his back, but he was hit with a knee to the body from behind. Other than that, it was mostly just control time. Then, with about 50 seconds left, things got really interesting. That's when Oliveira shook Tsarukyan off his back and immediately threatened a submission with a Dulce choke. And it was tight. There were moments when Tsarukyan's body seemed to go limp. Still, he survived and made it to the final bell, but that final scene was enough for Oliveira to steal the round.

Samano's score: 10-9 Oliveira

Wells: I like Tsarukyan's striking in the first minute exchange on the feet. He landed a nice right hand behind a left jab and a body kick combo. He then started a clinch and added a solid short elbow on the exit. After adding more combinations, Tsarukyan again took a shot, but it was rejected. Tsarukyan kept hitting his left jab and slammed him to the mat midway through the round. Oliveira survived a guillotine, but Tsarukyan was in side control, so the guillotine wasn't quite there. In fact, Tsarukyan clasped his hands in search of a possible von Früh, but he actually did not ask for it. After trapping Oliveira's right arm, Tsarukyan began elbowing him, which led to a fleeting crucifix position. As Oliveira tried to turn, Tsarukyan stepped up and made a clean backtake. Short knees landed here a few times to his body as Oliviera turtled up trying to escape. Tsarukyan left an opening and Oliveira exploded to his feet with 48 seconds left, but couldn't get far as he was backed down in a front headlock. Tsarukian tried to escape from the position, and midway through the turn, Oliveira executed a Dulce choke with about 25 ticks left. Tsarukyan defended patiently and survived the timeout. Flattening your body is a smart defense in this position, but I can understand why some people don't like the optics. But when the horn sounded and Oliveira released his hold, Tsarukyan immediately got up and climbed the fence to celebrate. It was a solid moment for Oliveira in the closing stages, but Tsarukyan seemed content to ride out the final seconds given his actions after the horn.

Wells score: 10-9 Tsarukyan