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Judging in MMA is far from flawless. For years, the UFC has faced situations where their own fighters have expressed their grievances over erroneous decisions made by MMA judges.
One need not look further back than Cory Sandhagen's frustrations over the apparent prioritization of control time in his recent split-decision loss to TJ Dillashaw to understand how contentious the issue has become.
Yet, it is not always those who lose fights who air out their displeasure with the current judging process in MMA. The reigning UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, has also called for an overhaul of how fights are judged.
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Even non-fighters such as Joe Rogan and retired fighters like Din Thomas have called for the introduction of open scoring, which they believe will ultimately benefit the sport.
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The debate on how to improve MMA judging rages on in the UFC, and this list examines 5 of the promotion's personalities — from fighters and non-fighters — who have made the case for significant changes to the MMA judging process.
#5. Glover Teixeira
Glover Teixeira is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC light heavyweight division. He is a powerful striker in the standup department and is more than comfortable on the ground as the division's best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist.
A former champion who recently lost his title to Jiří Procházka in a truly thrilling bout at UFC 275, Teixeira is also a cornerman, famously working with the next likely middleweight title challenger, Alex 'Poatan' Pereira.
Thus, as both a fighter and cornerman, Teixeira understands how different fights would be for him in both situations were open scoring implemented. He's expressed his support for open scoring, stating how important it'd be for him and everyone to know how the fight is being scored between rounds.
The Brazilian cited a conversation he shared with Alex Pereira in the latter's previous fight against Bruno Silva. Pereira injured his foot and when Teixeira was asked whether he thought 'Poatan' should maintain his current pace, the grizzled veteran was unsure, something he feels open scoring can remedy.
#4. Din Thomas
Former MMA fighter and current UFC analyst Din Thomas is best known to the current generation of UFC fans for his real-time analysis of ongoing fights.
After Josh Emmett's controversial win over Calvin Kattar at UFC on ESPN 37, Thomas questioned the merits, or rather, the logic behind the decision to reveal a fight's scoring after the bout has ended as it benefits neither of the two competitors involved.
The retired mixed martial artist openly showcased his support for open scoring, reasoning that it's far more sensible to reveal the scorecards between rounds so that both fighters know how to proceed.
The winning fighter will understand that the strategy and gameplan they're currently employing is successful. The losing fighter will not only understand that their approach must change to turn the fight around, but they will no longer be at risk of being misled by corners who are either mistaken about a bout's outcome or intent on coddling their fighters.
#3. Matt Brown
Longtime UFC fighter Matt Brown has been a professional mixed martial artist since 2004. Thus, 'The Immortal' has witnessed the evolution of the sport from a niche interest that once struggled for venues in North America into an athletic competition helmed by a $4 billion promotion.
Alongside it, Brown himself evolved as a fighter. However, as one of the few UFC fighters competing in his 40s, he is on the decline, having recently lost a split-decision to Bryan Barbarena to go 1-3 in his last four fights.
'The Immortal' was frustrated with the judges' verdict on the bout. Not only did Brown suggest open scoring so that fighters are made aware when they're losing a fight, but he also countered the argument that open scoring would render fighters who know they're ahead on the scorecards lazy and inactive.
He proposed the introduction of penalties for stalling like the ones present in wrestling, as doing so would prevent fighters from spending an entire round refusing to engage to preserve their lead on the scorecards.
#2. Alexander Volkanovski
Current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is not a fighter who has been on the wrong end of inexplicable split-decision losses. In fact, the Australian has only ever lost once in 25 fights, sporting a spotless record in the UFC.
Yet, prior to his third win over Max Holloway at UFC 276, Volkanovski's greatness was often questioned by the most rabid of Holloway's fanbase, who believed that the Hawaiian had won their second outing.
Understandably, the narrative led to frustrations for the reigning champion. On Israel Adesanya's YouTube channel, the Australian stated his willingness to adopt open scoring.
He thinks it would not only benefit fighters by informing them of how well or poorly they're performing, but it would also prevent fans and fighters alike from complaining about decisions. Fighters who know they're down on the scorecards yet do nothing to turn things around will have no excuse for their performances.
#1. Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan is one of the most polarizing figures in MMA. His voice is synonymous with the UFC, and fights are often at their most thrilling when Rogan's signature scream sounds off over a devastating knockout in the octagon.
However, he is also questioned for the many opinions and choices he's revealed on his ever-popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
Among the opinions he was criticized for was suggesting that the criteria for MMA judging be changed to favor damage over control, something that the world eagerly pointed out had already been adopted.
Rogan, however, is also known for being a proponent of open scoring, as is Ariel Helwani and even Jon Anik despite the latter's minor reservations. As far back as 2017, Rogan tweeted his belief that open scoring would serve to heighten the drama of a fight.
According to Rogan, a fighter who knows they've lost every preceding round will have no choice but to seek a finish in the final round, either by knockout or submission.
That would be in a Hail Mary moment that the UFC commentator seems to believe will render bouts more exciting as fans will watch high-stakes matchups with baited breath.
