Castaneda Blames Himself For UFC Vegas 121 Loss

John Castaneda blamed himself for losing a split decision to Alatengheili at UFC Vegas 121 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The bantamweight veteran said he made a critical mistake in the third round when he believed he was ahead on the scorecards. Per MMAmania, Castaneda acknowledged that he consciously decided to play it safe instead of pressing forward. "What disappoints me most is knowing that I took the easy way out when I believed I was up two rounds to zero," he wrote in a lengthy Instagram statement. "I played possum in probably the most important third round of my career."

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Castaneda's Winless Streak Reaches Four

The loss extended Castaneda's skid to four fights without a victory, including three defeats and one draw since he stopped Kyung Ho Kang in November 2023. That record puts the 33-year-old in a precarious spot as the UFC continues cutting roster space for Contender Series graduates.

Castaneda appeared to win the first round, while Alatengheili took the third. The second frame decided the fight, with some observers believing Castaneda landed the harder shots despite Alatengheili's higher volume. Two judges sided with the Chinese fighter, prompting some fans to call the decision a robbery.

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The veteran refused to blame the judges. "I allowed myself to get comfortable and tried to protect what I thought I had already earned," he wrote. "I paid the ultimate price for that lesson Saturday night, and it's one I'll carry with me for the rest of my career."

Castaneda said he will take time to reflect on what comes next, though the UFC has not announced whether he will get another opportunity inside the octagon.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC Vegas 121 ‘Prelims’ veteran blames himself for split decision loss — ‘I took the easy way out’