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

#2. Potential for fights to become more exciting

Jon Jones (L) vs. Dominick Reyes (R)

When fighters know what the outlook of the bout is, whoever is losing is going to become more aggressive to try and turn things in their favor. The would no longer be scenarios where two fighters ease off, each thinking they are winning the fight. Watching a fighter who is down two rounds trying to get a finish could be thrilling.

Those against open scoring like to suggest that it could have the opposite affect. They would argue that fighters up two rounds on the scorecards would ease up and coast, leading to less entertaining third rounds. However, attempting to coast whilst locked in a cage with a trained fighter is unlikely to be a realistic strategy.

Instead, open scoring could produce some incredible moments in the UFC. Imagine the crowd reaction to learning that Dominick Reyes had taken the opening round from Jon Jones in their title fight. The crowd would have gone crazy, and Jones may have then taken more risks to turn the tide of the fight.

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#1. Fighter pay is affected

Fighters dream of making 'Conor McGregor money'

It seems incredibly unfair that fighters can lose half their pay cheque due to bad judging, but they can't do anything about it. Most fighters in the UFC receive a sum of show money for competing, and then that money is doubled should they win. At present, this huge financial difference is often dependent on guess work.

With judges consistently producing confusing scorecards, fighters should have a chance to go out and chase a result that will have huge implications for them and their families. This is their profession, their livelihoods on the line, and it is simply not right that half their pay cheques can disappear due to a judging error.

Open scoring is not a cure-all for the sport of MMA, but it would be a vast improvement on the current situation with no foreseeable negative impact. It would be a change that would benefit the fighters significantly, and if you are truly a fan of the athletes in the UFC, you should really be in support of it.