UFC brass Marc Ratner explains why open scoring is still out of the question: "I would hate to lose that moment"
Over the years, the UFC has witnessed several scoring blunders that have resulted in severe setbacks for the fighters and sparked outrage from fans. Amid such cases, open scoring has been floated around as a solution to the recurrent issue.
However, UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner does not advocate the idea. Speaking in an interview with MMA Junkie, Ratner claimed that while he understands the broad-based call for the inclusion of open scoring, he contends that it would diminish the suspense factor vital to the sport's appeal. He said:
“I still do not endorse open scoring. I think that’s a path that I and the UFC, we feel strongly about not having it. So, I’m still an advocate for that. The most exciting part, whether it be boxing or MMA, is after a title fight and we go to a decision, and you’re waiting for Michael or Bruce Buffer to say – you’re sitting in your seat, sitting on the edge saying either ‘new’ or ‘still.’ I would hate to lose that moment.”
Ratner further asserted that with the judges' scores for each round announced publicly, fighters with the lead may resort to coasting through the rest of the fight to comfortably get their hand raised.
He claimed that the format was tried in boxing and the previously noted conundrum was in full effect. The executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission would rather have every cornerman tell their fighters that the fight is tied and get them to not take the contest for 'granted.'
Check out Ratner's comments below (8:40):
When Herb Dean talked about the problems with open scoring
As a veteran figure in the UFC and combat sports in general, Herb Dean is one of the most influential voices when it comes to the regulatory features of the sport.
Dean has seen a fair share of blundered decisions from the judges' side through the years and understands the demand for open scoring. With open scoring, fight fans will get to see the scores being updated in real time.
However, Dean believes that the format can also be problematic. Speaking in an interview with TMZ Sports, he said:
"There's always an argument for [open scoring]. I think there's things that could be problems with it. One, if the scoring is open, and in some places where there's a heavy crowd effect, the crowd could track [the scores], and that might be a problem. Sometimes crowds can get violent over sports. I'm not saying that something is gonna happen, but it's something you might consider." [H/t: TMZ Sports]