Why UFC won't adopt open scoring, Dana White introduces Donald Trump at RNC, Khamzat Chimaev explains SMASH crypto scam: MMA News Roundup
UFC has taken a strong stance on the potential introduction of open scoring in the promotion. Elsewhere, Dana White introduced Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention 2024 with a fiery speech.
Here's your today's top combat sports updates presented by Sportskeeda MMA.
UFC will not implement open scoring anytime soon
UFC is not likely to implement open scoring despite the recent conversations in the MMA world surrounding its benefits. The promotion's vice-president for regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, told MMA Junkie Radio at SEI CON that he's not a fan of the system:
"I still do not endorse open scoring. I think that’s a path that I and the UFC 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 has a suggestion for fighters who feel it is necessary to have open scoring to know how they should perform in each round:
"I would tell every cornerman, pretend it’s tied, whatever you think it is, and say you’re losing. It’s up to you now. Get your fighter to fight, and not take it for granted. Don’t leave it to the judges. That’s my philosophy there."
Several renowned MMA personalities, including veteran journalist Ariel Helwani, happen to be vocal advocates of open scoring in MMA.
"President Trump is fighting to save the American Dream" - Dana White
Days after the unfortunate assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life, he was introduced at the Republican National Convention 2024 by close friend Dana White. The UFC CEO gave a five-minute speech to welcome the former president on the stage.
Watch the full speech below:
The two share a long-time friendship since the inception days of the UFC. White was among the first from the MMA world to reach out to the ex-president after the shooting incident in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump returned White's favor by giving him and his family props during his speech at the RNC.
Khamzat Chimaev addresses cryptocurrency scam allegations
Khamzat Chimaev's endorsement of the meme-themed SMASH crypto coin recently received massive backlash for being a potential scam.
The Chechen UFC fighter allegedly linked the team wallets directly with the insider wallets, buying up 78%-plus of the supply. As a result, for early users, the token value lost 96% value within the first 24 hours, as per GeckoTerminal.
In a conversation with Aslanbek Badaev, 'Borz' broke silence on the matter and revealed what had happened behind the scenes:
Well, my manager you can say acted stupidly and I also made a mistake in this crypto. I don't understand (crypto) at all. I trust my manager. ... I made a video and then made an advertisement as they told me. And that they will send me money. Well, these people (who reached out with the idea) are lost now. Now we are looking for them. One was found. They forced him to make a video, that it's their fault. We will find the others too, and we will and make them apologize for it."