Does the UFC need to change it's judging system?

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pistang88

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It seems like with so much confusion over the 10 point system and what it actually means, and just what exactly is needed for a fighter to win, should they switch over from a boxing like scoring system and perhaps go back to something more along the lines of what PRIDE had.
 
I don't think anyone would disagree that the judging system needs to be changed up a bit, where everyone has issues i figuring out a universally acceptable new set of guidelines. Part of the fact that MMA is so diverse is exactly what makes judging it so difficult. I wish I could say I have some great idea for have to revamp it, but I'm just one of those people who thinks it needs to be fixed and doesn't have a solution.

Something does need to be done as there seems to be a few recent examples of fights where the scoring doesn't make any sense. You have one judge unanimous for one fighter and the other two unanimous for the other one. It's either a judging issue or a rules issue, I'm guessing it's a bit of both.
 
1) It's not the UFC's scoring system. It's the scoring system laid out in the Unified Rules, which have been adopted by every state that sanctions MMA.

2) It's not confusing if a) you follow the sport and b) the judges on a given night actually know what they're doing. The criteria to win is based on effective striking, grappling, aggression, and ring/cage control. The winner of a round gets ten points, the loser gets nine or less. As long as a judge is actually aware of what constitutes "effective striking", etc, it's no mystery.

3) Yes, the system needs to be changed, and the Pride system would help. However, more than that, they need judges who know what they're doing. Many judges have no clue about the grappling aspect of the game. You can implement any kind of scoring system you want, but until a judge can recognize the difference between an triangle choke and an arm bar, there will still be crap calls. Overall, though, they seem to be doing a good job.
 
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