Ariel Helwani claims NSAC denied his request to speak to UFC judge under fire for controversially scoring Kai-Kara France vs Amir Albazi fight
Ariel Helwani has been very vocal about the need for more accountability and transparency from UFC judges. The mixed martial arts analyst recently revealed that he attempted to speak to judge Chris Lee following Amir Albazi's controversial split decision victory over Kai Kara-France at UFC on ESPN 46.
Speaking to Israel Adesanya, who is teammates with Kara-France, Helwani stated:
"[NSAC executive director] Jeff Mullen was not willing to let me talk to anyone. I specifically say, 'can I speak to Chris? Can I ask him questions?' Why are they being protected?'... He's like, 'I need to protect these guys, they don't make that much'. I'm like, 'just because they don't make that much - you are in the most powerful chair in the game. It's the three of you, and you're affecting people's lives.'"
Ariel Helwani continued:
"Everyone has to answer these questions. To be honest, I don't even care about Dana's thoughts on the scorecards. It's not his problem. The one dude who actually has a say in the matter, gets off scot free. That doesn't make any sense. In no other sport does this happen... Pick one media member every event. You don't want us all to pamper you, fine."
Check out Ariel Helwani's comments on UFC judges below:
Israel Adesanya: The judges need to be held accountable.
Adesanya is on the list. ✔️
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/qEaS1O7BZn
Chris Lee's scorecard was deemed the most controversial as he gave the fourth round to Amir Albazi despite Kai Kara-France seemingly winning the round in convincing fashion. If Lee had awarded 'Don't Blink' the fourth round, he would have won the bout.
Check out the controversial scorecard below:
#UFCVegas74 Official Scorecard: Kai Kara-France vs Amir Albazi (@AmirAlbazi)
All Tonight's Scorecards: ufc.ac/3WOKitE https://t.co/Luk9grt8Vc
What did Ariel Helwani previously say about UFC judges?
Following Kai Kara-France's controversial loss to Amir Albazi, Ariel Helwani discussed the impact of UFC judges. Speaking on his podcast, The MMA Hour, the mixed martial arts analyst stated:
"They're actually affecting someone's life, they're affecting their pay, they're affecting their trajectory, they're affecting their resume, they're affecting the state of their career. Maybe they get released because now it's two losses in a row... I would much rather sit here and go, 'well, according to Sal D'Amato... this is what he saw in the fourth round.' and then we could break that down."
Check out Ariel Helwani's comments on UFC judges below:
Thread
Ariel Helwani talks scoring, judging and officials
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/RNkTm68hoK
While there have been calls for the UFC to bring changes to their judging system for quite some time, a change does not appear to be on the horizon. As Helwani pointed out, the poorly-scored bouts are often forgotten within a week due to the number of events that take place.