ABC Issues Clarification Regarding Judging, Further Emphasizes Importance of Damage

The Association of Boxing Commissions on Wednesday issued clarifications regarding judging mixed martial arts bouts, and the changes—made at the behest of the Combative Sports Mixed Martial Arts Rules and Regulations Committee—could go into effect as soon as this weekend. UFC Vegas 109, also known as UFC on ESPN 72, goes down this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and features a middleweight headliner pitting Roman Dolidze against Anthony Hernandez.

In addition to emphasizing damage as a key for determining a round winner, the rules also note that it must be viewed as essential for a judge to score a 10-8 round. That means dominance and duration together are no longer enough and must be…