Back to the MMA Newsfeed

The Bottom Line: In Defense of Judges

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

The perception in some MMA circles has for years been that the sport is plagued by terrible judging problems. It’s sometimes even cited as one of the biggest problems with the sport. Officiating and scoring are of course criticized in all sports, but the problem of scoring is perceived to be particularly acute in MMA—a sport where the impact of judging is outsized. Unlike in most other sports where officials may determine whether points have been scored, in MMA, the judges directly determine winners and losers.