UFC judges will have a little more help this Saturday when it comes to scoring UFC 130. ESPN reports that the Nevada State Athletic Commission has granted the UFC’s request to have montiors at ringside for each judge.
The judge will have the option to use the monitors to witness action that may not be readily in their sightline. The monitors will not have an audio feed and will go dark between rounds. Also, no replays will be shown.
Payout Perspective:
A good step into improving the quality of its judging, the UFC hopes that the monitors will give the judges another way to evaluate the fight. The one drawback is that it may take some time for the judges to adapt to the new piece of technology at their disposal. The other problem is that it does not necessarily mean the judges will still use their judgment in scoring fights. But, from a public relations standpoint, it shows that the UFC is being proactive in trying to make sure that fights are judged correctly and that there is no backlash from fans when a judge (or judges) make a mistake.
Didn’t Keith Kizer state that the judges have always had the option to request a monitor in Nevada? I seem to remember he said that and that judges had simply chose not to use them. It sounds like they will still have a choice, but at least the monitors will actually be there right in front of them so they can’t opt out of their presence ringside. I’m a bit confused, so is this what it boils down to?
“The other problem is that it does not necessarily mean the judges will still use their judgment in scoring fights.” I don’t understand this line. Does it mean they may still not use the monitors to influence the way they judge bouts? Or they won’t use sound judgement? Please explain, thanks Jason.
Hi MV,
I think the point that I am making is that even with the use of the technology, it cannot factor in human error. So, we can give judges all the necessary tools, but they still may make a mistake (or perceived mistake).
Oops I was thinking of California using them 3 times in 2010, at UFC 117, UFC: Jones vs Matyushenko, and UFC 121.
I agree. The availability of monitors will help, but a drastic increase in mandatory education is needed in order to remedy human error. I’m wondering if the problem will eventually solve itself, as old boxing judges will fall by the wayside and the jobs will be taken by people who have grown up watching MMA and been privy to all of the awful decisions over the years. Seems like a problem that will inevitably get better, it’s only a question of time. At least this is what I hope. Where all all of these people who’ve supposedly passed Big John’s certification course?