This week a new MMA scoring system will be implemented for the first time and Max Holloway will be there to see it.
The former UFC Featherweight champion will be attending the Invicta FC show at the Memorial Hall in Kansas. The event will mark the 1st time in modern MMA history that an open scoring system – or real-time scoring system – is used in major organisation.
At the end of each round at Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 3, the judges scorecards will be revealed to the public. The Kansas Athletic Commission (KAC) decided last month that they would allow the use of real-time scoring for events in their state. This Invicta event will be the first event using the new scoring system, which is the opposite of the current Unified Rules of MMA, where judges scores are only revealed at the end of the fight.
“I’ve been in the UFC for eight years,” the Hawaiian told ESPN. “I’ve won five title fights in the UFC, and I’ve never met a fighter or even a judge who thinks the scoring system in MMA is perfect. So what are we going to do? We at that point. If all of us agree it’s not perfect, what we going to do? What are we doing? What are we doing now? Are we just gonna keep tweeting? What are we doing? Why are we still talking if we all agree? The first step is to test ideas. And that’s what I’m here for.”
The way this new system works was explained by Kansas boxing commissioner Adam Roorbach. Two people will collect the judges’ scores after each round. Roorbach will then enter the scores into a computer. There will be two people with tablets on either side of the venue that will reveal the scorecards. The scorecards will also be shown on the big screen at the start of each round.
The idea behind this system is to stop fighters from easily seeing the scores themselves, but still allow their corner to see and tell their athletes – if they choose to.
“We don’t want to take away from the fighter getting their recovery time,” Roorbach said. “We don’t want to take away from the cutman or coach working on the fighter.”
“Open scoring has been tested in boxing,” Holloway added. “Cool. MMA isn’t boxing, my friends. We don’t know for sure how it will work in MMA. And if it creates more problems than it fixes, that’s good, because at least we finally have proof and can move on to the next idea.
“But maybe it works. Or maybe it creates new problems. But we can fix those with new scoring and rules. I don’t know, but nobody does. And that’s why we have to put down the bag of Cheetos now and do the work. I’m here for it.”
This article first appeared on CLOSEDGUARDMEDIA.com on 4th March, 2020.
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