We as MMA fans are so demanding of the top fighters that sometimes the expectations we have will never be reached. Georges St. Pierre did something I didn't expect in his UFC 124 Welterweight Title fight vs. Josh Koscheck. He stood and traded strikes with Josh for nearly all 5 rounds. He utilized a jab in MMA to the likes that has never been seen, he hit Josh's right eye so many times that an alien life form was growing and the fight could have been due to the sevarity of it. Georges showed just how much better he is in every aspect of MMA than the next guy. He dominated Josh, yet what was the prevailing theme that MMA fans talked about after the fights? "He didn't finish Koscheck and he didn't make an attempt to finish him."
To those of you that find GSP boring, watch boxing. GSP has the distinct possibility to go down as perhaps the greatest Mixed Martial Artist of all time. He is thoroughly wiping out anyone in his division decisively. He has won 30 consecutive rounds. He has also dominated in every single fight since his loss to Matt Serra back in April 07. When I was watching the fight last Saturday, I did my best paying attention to the emotions I was feeling when GSP would fight. I remember it, watching someone who is so good at what he does, is like watching Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, or Picasso paint the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. Georges transitions from Striking to Wrestling flows so well. People complain that Georges doesn't finish fights. While he has had trouble putting fighter's away, let me ask a question: In Georges last 6 fights, has there every been a minute of any of those fights where George did not look in control? Georges has this auora about him that without saying anything his opponents will be beat before they even walk into the Octagon. GSP is as good as Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey, and Roy Jones Jr. when they were all in their primes. To those people who do not like watching him fight will be wishing he was still around 2 years after he retires.
UFC Rundown
Here is what I took away from the main card bouts and bouts showed.
First off Dustin Hazelett needs to be cut by the UFC. He has not looked the same since Paul Daley broke his jaw back in January. He is still relatively young so a move down to the regional circuit will not hurt him and he can build up his Jiu-Jitsu and his striking. How good was the Sean Pierson vs. Matt Riddle fight? Those guys kept coming forward for all 3 rounds and props to Riddle who held game after getting rocked in the 1st. Thiago Alves showed vs. John Howard how good he can be when he is in-shape and make weight. Those leg kicks were brutal, Thiago Alves looks better than ever in the Octagon. Where does John Howard go from here? He's lost the last two fights fairly decisively. He's 2-2 in his last 4, which I don't think is automatic pink-slip but I think he will be needing a win next time out to secure his job.
Mac Danzig. Wow. While watching the fights I literally looked down for a second and then I came back up and saw Joe Stevenson face first on the canvas. Mac Danzig did what he needed to survive and keep his Zuffa contract. Joe Stevenson, based upon what Dana White said at the UFC 124 Press Conference sounded like he will not be automatically cut.
I think he's given at least one more UFC fight.
What a performance by Jim Miller. Who saw that Kneebar coming? He deserves a top 5 fight next time out in the lightweight division. Charles Oliveira needs to work on a few things, but with his record being (14-1) and only being 21 years old, he has a lot of time left to get better.
Sean Mccorkle was exposed by Stefan Struve in the co-main event. Everyone was salivating all over Mccorkle, saying he was going to knock out Struve. I didn't buy it for a second. Struve has defeated UFC level competition, with his only two losses coming to top 5 Heavyweights Roy Nelson and #1 Contender Junior Dos Santos. Mccorkle had won fights only in Indianapolis, Indiana and all were at Super Heavyweight with many of his opponents having big guts. Mccorkle does hit hard, but he wasn't ready for a fight vs. Struve.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
A solution to MMA Judging controversy????
This isn't the first time MMA judging has come into question over the last oh, 3 years. I think I can provide in my first blog post since September, a reasonable solution to the controversy. First let me tell you know this is not going to recommend.
I don't think a requirement for being a judge is to only be an ex-fighter. While this does help, it certainly shuns off people who have handicaps and are disabled and physically are unable to fight, which never goes over well with the masses so while being a fighter in the past is a bonus, it should not be a requirement.
I think MMA Judges should have, if physically able to, train at a minimum of year in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai or a combination of one discipline that is based in striking and one that is based in Grappling. I think former and current boxing judges Tony Weeks, Adelaide Byrd should also be required to train in it. If they refuse, and they are in good physical condition to do, then their license should be revocated until they do so. In fact in MMA we need judges who are specific to MMA judges and not come from a background in Boxing. I understand when the UFC was first starting to gain support, we needed judges from somewhere and Boxing was a natural crossover. MMA is growing bigger everyday with Events on 6 continents every year and the increased number of eyeballs means the judges, fighters, officials all become under even greater scrutiny when something goes wrong. There is no doubt about, Nam Phan clearly won the fight vs. Leonard Garcia and any argument to the contrary is mis-guided, bias, or incompetent.
I think Keith Kizer's lack of a major response to this or even an admission of there being a problem means this won't be the last time there will be a controversial decision. Bad Decisions are going to happen until Boxing Judges who judge MMA are weeded out or evolve. Boxing is not MMA and MMA is not Boxing. Boxing is a facet of MMA but there is so much more. Here are some things that I could help judges.
1) Make a decision about a fight, stand by it. Even under the most intense scrutiny I think if a judge like NFL, MLB sports officials who make controverisal calls face the music and answer their critics, and can properly back up why they made that call, while we as fans will still disagree, we can appreciate the fact that they stood by their call.
2) Bring some blank paper, and write down keys things that happen each round that support why you gave that round to Fighter A or Fighter B. If say in this case of Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan, you scored his takedowns siginifcantly, write it down. If you scored the knockdown by Nam Phan in the 2nd as significant write it down. in 5 Minute Rounds a lot can happen and sometimes it can be hard to remember it all.
3) MMA Judges and Referees should speak to the MMA media more often. This helps bridge the current perception of even remote forms of corruption.
4) I think we as MMA fans who are tired of seeing such crappy decisions we need to step up and become officials and judges in the sport we love so much. If you have the means to do so and choose not to, then you are part of the problem and not the solution.
5) I think Judges that constantly deliver head scratching decisions need to be relieved of their duties. I am going to pick on Tony Weeks just for a minute. He obviously was one of two who gave Leonard Garcia the win. Here are some other fights that he delivered a head scratcher or two.
Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin UFC 115, He gave the fight to Tyson Griffin.
Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine UFC TUF Finale 11 He scored the fight a draw 28-28.
Antonio Noguiera vs. Jason Brilz UFC 114, He Scored the fight 29-28 for Little Nog
Karen Darabedyan vs. Rob Mccullough WEC 44, He scored the fight 30-27 for Razer Rob.
Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown WEC 41, He scored the fight 48-47 for Mike Brown when both Sherdog and MMAJunkie scored it at all 49-46 for Brown
This shows to me that he has difficulty scoring fights using the MMA 10 point Must system.
He either needs to revamp and evolve or stick to just boxing.
Thanks for taking the time to read please post some feedback if you felt I left something out
I don't think a requirement for being a judge is to only be an ex-fighter. While this does help, it certainly shuns off people who have handicaps and are disabled and physically are unable to fight, which never goes over well with the masses so while being a fighter in the past is a bonus, it should not be a requirement.
I think MMA Judges should have, if physically able to, train at a minimum of year in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai or a combination of one discipline that is based in striking and one that is based in Grappling. I think former and current boxing judges Tony Weeks, Adelaide Byrd should also be required to train in it. If they refuse, and they are in good physical condition to do, then their license should be revocated until they do so. In fact in MMA we need judges who are specific to MMA judges and not come from a background in Boxing. I understand when the UFC was first starting to gain support, we needed judges from somewhere and Boxing was a natural crossover. MMA is growing bigger everyday with Events on 6 continents every year and the increased number of eyeballs means the judges, fighters, officials all become under even greater scrutiny when something goes wrong. There is no doubt about, Nam Phan clearly won the fight vs. Leonard Garcia and any argument to the contrary is mis-guided, bias, or incompetent.
I think Keith Kizer's lack of a major response to this or even an admission of there being a problem means this won't be the last time there will be a controversial decision. Bad Decisions are going to happen until Boxing Judges who judge MMA are weeded out or evolve. Boxing is not MMA and MMA is not Boxing. Boxing is a facet of MMA but there is so much more. Here are some things that I could help judges.
1) Make a decision about a fight, stand by it. Even under the most intense scrutiny I think if a judge like NFL, MLB sports officials who make controverisal calls face the music and answer their critics, and can properly back up why they made that call, while we as fans will still disagree, we can appreciate the fact that they stood by their call.
2) Bring some blank paper, and write down keys things that happen each round that support why you gave that round to Fighter A or Fighter B. If say in this case of Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan, you scored his takedowns siginifcantly, write it down. If you scored the knockdown by Nam Phan in the 2nd as significant write it down. in 5 Minute Rounds a lot can happen and sometimes it can be hard to remember it all.
3) MMA Judges and Referees should speak to the MMA media more often. This helps bridge the current perception of even remote forms of corruption.
4) I think we as MMA fans who are tired of seeing such crappy decisions we need to step up and become officials and judges in the sport we love so much. If you have the means to do so and choose not to, then you are part of the problem and not the solution.
5) I think Judges that constantly deliver head scratching decisions need to be relieved of their duties. I am going to pick on Tony Weeks just for a minute. He obviously was one of two who gave Leonard Garcia the win. Here are some other fights that he delivered a head scratcher or two.
Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin UFC 115, He gave the fight to Tyson Griffin.
Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine UFC TUF Finale 11 He scored the fight a draw 28-28.
Antonio Noguiera vs. Jason Brilz UFC 114, He Scored the fight 29-28 for Little Nog
Karen Darabedyan vs. Rob Mccullough WEC 44, He scored the fight 30-27 for Razer Rob.
Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown WEC 41, He scored the fight 48-47 for Mike Brown when both Sherdog and MMAJunkie scored it at all 49-46 for Brown
This shows to me that he has difficulty scoring fights using the MMA 10 point Must system.
He either needs to revamp and evolve or stick to just boxing.
Thanks for taking the time to read please post some feedback if you felt I left something out
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