"80% of the rounds anybody can judge" - UFC brass Marc Ratner explains why he is adamantly against open scoring 

The UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, recently weighed in on the idea of open scoring (the publication of judges scores after every round) in MMA. The former director of NSAC adamantly opposed the idea while also explaining his reasons.

According to Ratner, the moment of truth announced by one of the legendary Buffer brothers is an iconic moment that sets apart combat sports from other disciplines. The 77-year-old recently told The Schmo:

"I'm adamantly against it. I've been involved in open scoring in boxing. I understand all of the arguments. One of my favorite moments in combat sports, this may sound silly to a lot but when I hear Michael or Bruce Buffer say- you're waiting after a three round or five round fight- and say and still or new, it's a iconic moment that you don't get in any other sport."

Ratner also believes that the UFC's current scoring system will suffice with a few changes. According to the UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, 80% of rounds can be judged by anyone and only 20% are real close. Ratner further told The Schmo:

"Yeah I think there could be some changes but for the most part it works. And I would say that 80% of the rounds anybody can judge. They are 10-9 rounds. It's those 20% that are really tough. And in a five minute round, usually, you can make a decision."

Watch Ratner's interview with The Schmo below:

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Dana White explains problem with open scoring

MMA judging has always been a widely debated topic and even more so in recent times as the sport has become more technical. Many fans and pundits believe that open scoring could be the most feasible solution to controversial judgment.

However, UFC president Dana White pointed out a major flaw with the concept of open scoring. White noted that a fighter, after knowing he is up two rounds, would most likely evade his opponent in the third. White told Laura Sanko during a Q&A session last year:

“If a guy knows that he’s up two rounds and you’re a professional fighter, you can absolutely stay away from a guy for an entire round and make the fight completely horrible. If you already know you’ve got two rounds in the bag, guarantee if you saw your score up there, all (you) have to do is stay away from this guy for the next five minutes. That makes for a lot of bad third rounds.” h/t MMAJunkie