5 reasons why open scoring is the need of the hour in the UFC

#4. It is easier to fix than judging

Michael Johnson suffered a controversial split decision loss last weekend

In an ideal world where judges always come to the correct decision, there may not be a need for open scoring. However, as UFC fans everywhere know, we have seen (and continue to see) non-sensical scorecards on a regular basis. This past weekend, many felt Michael Johnson was robbed of a victory over Jamie Mullarkey.

However, fixing judging is an incredibly difficult task. MMA is still a young sport that in development, and the scoring system it uses is borrowed from the world of boxing. Many of the judges involved in the sport have not practiced MMA, so expecting them to to be perfect is simply unrealistic.

Improving judging is definitely something the sport of MMA needs, but that could take years to come to fruition. Open scoring, on the other hand, could be introduced overnight. While it would not prevent bad scorecards, at least fighters would understand they were being robbed and be able to do something about it.

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#3. Fighters would know where they stand

Rose Namajunas (L) vs. Carla Esparza (R) II

In virtually every other sport in existence, the athletes competing understand where they stand whilst they are doing so. Soccer, basketball, and tennis are all examples of sports that would make no sense if the athletes had no idea of the score.

Fighters risk so much every time they enter the octagon that it seems only fair they know who is winning or losing. At present, a fighter can, and often does, feel as though they are winning a fight only to discover they have lost after the bout is over. Open scoring would eliminate that problem from the sport.

With open scoring, UFC fighters would be able to make adjustments after seeing how the fight is being scored. If they were to learn that they are behind on the scorecards, a competitor could then change their approach. This would be a vast improvement over the current guessing game.