Gallery Thiago Alves def. Max Griffin at UFC on ESPN+ 2: Best photos view 23 images

FORTALEZA, Brazil – Now that he’s 0-2 in Brazil, Max Griffin says his days of fighting there are over.

It’s doubtful that it’s anything to do with the country itself. But after a split-decision loss to Thiago Alves (23-13 MMA, 15-10 UFC) on Saturday night at UFC on ESPN+ 2, Griffin (14-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) was left disenfranchised with the thought of returning with the theory that he can’t get a fair shake from the judges.

“I’d love to run it back (with Alves) – but in America,” Griffin said after the fight. “I’m not fighting out here again. I can’t. This is my career, and if you would’ve scored that fight 100 times, this would be the only place that I’m going to lose that fight. Period.”

UFC on ESPN+ 2 took place Saturday at Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza. The card streamed on ESPN+.

The vast majority of the MMA news outlets that scored the fight, as tracked by MMADecisions.com, scored the fight for Griffin. (Although it should be noted, in full disclosure, MMAjunkie scored the fight 29-28 for Alves.)

Griffin brought his phone with him to his post-fight interview so he could cite the stats, nearly all of which were in Griffin’s favor.

“I’ve never been so surprised in a fight,” Griffin told MMAjunkie. “We knew he was going to be a tough guy, but we executed. We won Round 1 clearly – rocked him and dropped him a few times, and that should’ve been a 10-8. Second round, he brought it back to me … I was rocked for a second, but I put it on him again. He’s still getting stitches right now.

“I knew in the third round I had to put it on him. I outstruck him by like 40 significant strikes. And I outwrestled him the last round – took him down two or three times … won the third clearly. Even if you gave him the second round, even a 10-8, I still would’ve won the fight. I was upset at first. But I know in my heart I smashed him.”

And as additional evidence, Griffin said Alves and his coach, former WEC featherweight champion and ex-UFC fighter Mike Brown, intimated to him they thought Griffin won the fight.

“After the fight, (Alves) ran into me and said, ‘Ya know, we’re in Fortaleza.’ He knew he didn’t win,” Griffin said. “His coach, Mike Brown, said he didn’t win. I’ve never felt I won so much – that’s why I’m not upset. It’s not like, ‘Oooh, I got robbed.’ We beat him. We smashed him. Every single person here saw the fight, and no person thinks I lost that fight. It is what it is.

“Mike Brown said he’d have to rewatch the fight. They didn’t think they won the fight. 100 percent (I lost because I was in Brazil). He was born here, it was supposed to be his last fight. He’s still getting stitches right now. It was an honor to fight him. He wasn’t a judge. But I feel good in my heart. I feel fine. I look fine. … I don’t know, man.”

For more from Griffin, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 2, check out the UFC Events section of the site.