Antônio Carlos Júnior secured his place in the PFL light heavyweight semifinals with a decision victory over Karl Moore in May. However, the score submitted by one judge, who surprisingly favored his opponent, raised significant concerns for the Brazilian fighter.
Judge Marcel Varela scored the bout 29-28 for Moore, awarding him rounds two and three. This scoring contrasted with judges Jason Grenier and Troy Wincapaw, who disagreed with Varela`s second-round assessment. While “Shoeface” was pleased to advance, he expressed a strong desire for changes within the sport to prevent what he viewed as an incorrect decision.
“I was genuinely worried about the score from one of the judges,” Júnior admitted. “When they announced it was a split decision, I honestly laughed. I thought, ‘No way. What fight was that judge even watching?’ It caused me real concern.”
Júnior felt he largely controlled the fight but acknowledged reducing his output slightly in the third round, leading to what he considered a fair 29-28 score in his favor. Despite seeing the win as a positive result and a good performance after nearly a year away from competition, the Brazilian hopes that North American athletic commissions will improve the training of judges.
According to the record-keeping website MMA Decisions, Varela had only judged two fights that went the distance in 2025 at that point. While significantly more active between 2021 and 2023 with 58 scored decisions, he had only judged four times in the 18 months leading up to the May fight.
“Of course, the goal is always to finish fights, especially in a tournament format where you have limited recovery time between bouts,” Júnior stated. “But at this level, you’re dealing with extremely experienced athletes who are technically and tactically very skilled. Sometimes, finishes are hard to come by, and fights can be very close. It’s absolutely essential to have capable judges who are truly committed to the role, perhaps even former fighters. Sometimes, it honestly looks like some people sitting there have no clue what they`re doing. It was quite unnerving, I`ll be honest with you.”
The 2021 PFL light heavyweight tournament champion, Júnior, is scheduled to face Simeon Powell this Friday at PFL 7 in Chicago. The veteran from American Top Team stated he is prepared for a full 15-minute battle but anticipates securing a finish.
Describing his upcoming opponent, Júnior said, “He’s primarily a striker, possessing excellent striking and a long reach. He’s effective at maintaining distance, moves well, and utilizes his legs skillfully, which makes him very dangerous. My strategy is to make him move backward. I’ve noticed he tends to favor boxing and initiating attacks when he’s advancing, so I won’t give him much space to settle in and build momentum. He might not have extensive professional experience but he has a good record, so we need to be intelligent in our approach. I’m confident I can secure a submission against him.”
Should he be victorious on Friday, “Shoeface” would advance to the $500,000 final, where he would compete against the winner of the PFL 7 co-main event, featuring Phil Davis and Sullivan Cauley.
Commentating on a potential final opponent, Júnior remarked concerning Davis, “He’s undeniably the favorite; there’s no getting around that. He was a Bellator champion and competed in the UFC. He’s 40 now, slightly older, but remains in excellent physical condition. He’s faced top-tier opponents and often emerged superior, even securing a knockout in his recent fight against Rob Wilkinson. Logically, Phil Davis is expected to win the other semifinal, but this is MMA – you can never predict the outcome. However, I do anticipate Phil Davis progressing from the other side of the bracket.”
Murray Blackwood