UFC/MMA Judging - please email DW/NVAC If You Agree

[Priest]

I FOUND THIS ON ANOTHER MMA FORUM

UFC/MMA Judging - please email DW/NVAC If You Agree

Attached below is an email I sent to Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the NV Athletic Commission, and CC'd to Dana White and Marc Ratner. If you agree, please email Dana White, Marc Rattner, and Keith Kizer (emails listed below) the following:

EMAIL ADDRESSES: kkizer@boxing.nv.gov, press@ufc.com, dwhite@ufc.com, dwhite@ufc.tv, mratner@ufc.com

SUBJECT: "MMA Judging/Scoring Solution"

TEXT: "I agree with Harry Evans' suggestion for judging criteria."

This is the original email:
To Keith Kizer, NVAC Executive Director,

Hello, my name is Harry Evans. I am a an amateur BJJ/MMA fighter and one of the biggest MMA fans around. I have written a few articles on the subject, and I often play commentator to a muted UFC event for friends. First of all, let me just say that you guys (NVAC) have done so much amazing work for the sport of MMA and are extremely under-appreciated. Fans only hear about your job when an event is scored poorly or an athlete is suspended for failing a drug test...not exactly crowd-pleasing, but without you, where would MMA be? So to begin with, thank you, both for your work, and for taking the heat from some raucous MMA fans for the big organizations.

What I want to suggest is a training program and selection criteria for MMA judges. I'm the guy who sits there after a split decision, easing the anger of fellow fans who scream about terrible judging. I explain how different it is with less camera angles (ever considered instant replay for judges?), as well as being there to hear each impact hit, screaming crowds, no biased commentary, etc. But I think we need two things for better judging and less controversy. First, qualifications for judges. To pick a 20-year boxing judge for MMA is extremely biased against grapplers...if a round goes 2:30 with fighter A out-boxing fighter B, then 2:30 with fighter B out-grappling fighter A, a boxing judge will usually give it to the boxer. Picking a BJJ champion to judge would be wrong as well. Old MMA fighters and refs would make good choices, e.g. John McCarthy or Pat Miletich, or at least someone who knows the difference between a an omoplata and a gogoplata as well as that between a left cross and a right hook. Otherwise, how can one decide upon "octagon control" with someone like BJJ expert Demian Maia on his back or counter-striker Lyoto Machida backing up and still controlling distance perfectly without actually retreating.

The second suggestion involves getting NVAC, UFC (or other organizations), and judges on the same page. We can't question that UFC is the front-runner of our sport, so I will use them as an example. What defines octagon control for grappling vs striking? what scores more, 3 jabs, one overhand power shot, or 10 leg kicks? These questions need to be answer in training seminars given to judges prior to events. The UFC alone, or in conjunction with NVAC, should design this program, to be approved by NVAC, to explain how they want the fight scored more precisely. Cecil Peoples, after the Rua v. Machida bout, said that even though Rua won whole rounds of entirely striking, he gave them to Machida because Machida sprawled on a few takedowns, thus winning the "grappling half" of the scoring. These rounds were entirely stiking except for one or two takedown attempts, and MMA has never been scored 50-50 on striking/grappling when it becomes a 5-round kickboxing match. Over all, Shogun won the round but Peoples said the he didnt dominate the striking while Machida "dominated" the grappling by stopping every takedown. I have not been a Cecil fan for a long time, as he has been a part of some terrible decisions in my opinion since early UFC. Judge Lester Griffin (I believe I have his name right) have Forrest Griffin a 30-27 in UFC 106 against Tito, which is shocking. Ortiz Griffin number 1 was a pretty bad call in my opinion as well, as were many others that were later shown to be judged on ridiculous criteria that are far from the standard. We need an expert on MMA judging, accepted by both UFC and NVAC, to explain what to look at, what seems important but is not, etc. to a group of judges who are working on a relatively new and undefined sport. This will help with consistency, the evolution of the sport, relations between NVAC and UFC, and the NVAC's image. It will stop the UFC/Dana White from blaming the outcomes of fights that displease fans on NVAC as well.

I would be glad to help with this program, and I will be sending this suggestions to Dana White and Marc Ratner as well. I will also put it on forums online and give it to friends, and I will ask that those who agree email both you and UFC, either saying the same thing, or simply stating "I agree with Harry Evans' suggestion for judging criteria." I hear you (and DW/Marc) are awesome about considering what fans have to say, so again, thanks for your work so far, and thanks for reading such a long, serious email.