MMA judging under scrutiny: Ariel Helwani delivers powerful monologue after latest UFC scoring fiasco
Ariel Helwani sounded off on MMA judging after the UFC Vegas 74 main event between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi ended in controversial fashion.
Helwani began today's episode of The MMA Hour with a powerful monologue discussing the judges awarding Albazi with the split decision. Fans and media overwhelmingly believed that Kara-France should have been awarded with the decision, and so the Canadian put the judging on blast for the decision.
Helwani said:
"It's not that easy, it's really tough when something's happening on the other end of the cage or ring to really truly understand what's going on. They're watching it live super close, so I get it. Plus, I could go back and rewatch it, there's no pressure on me...They're actually affecting someone's life."
Helwani talks about what he would like to see change when it comes to MMA judging:
“Transparency and Accountability.”
The officials have the ability to truly effect the fighters livelihood and career; it shouldn’t be impossible to get them to explain their reasoning.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/U8RMrMzzk8
The renowned journalist also suggested that the judging should be addressed on a national level rather than each state having their own set of rules. Ariel Helwani believes that there needs to be more transparency and accountability, saying:
"They're [judges] affecting their pay, they're affecting their trajectory, they're affecting their resume, they're affecting the state of their career; maybe they [fighter] get released...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."
It remains to be seen whether state athletic commissions will adjust their scoring criteria should there continue to be complaints regarding their decisions in the outcome of fights.
Ariel Helwani suggests NBA model to keep judging transparent
Ariel Helwani has been critical of MMA judging in the past and has been a proponent of MMA promotions like the UFC adopting an open-scoring model.
During the aforementioned monologue, Helwani suggested that the UFC and other MMA promotions follow the NBA model in terms of keeping a judge or official accountable when there a controversial decision. He mentioned that making them available to a member could provide more transparency and allow the fans and media to gain a better understanding of what the judges are looking for in a fight.
"I've been talking about this idea for transparency...Ever since I saw the NBA do it and other leagues do it, where they have a pool reporter talk to officials after a game and address controversial calls. Do they always say the most enlightening things? No, they don't, but at least there's something," said Helwani.
Kai Kara-France defeated Amir Albazi on the Verdict Scorecard.
#UFCVegas74 twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/4QjopzNHbu