NSAC Executive Keith Kizer Discusses Open Scoring System In MMA

The judging system used in MMA is often criticized in the wake of controversial decisions, and rightly so at times; the most recent storm surrounding the officiating of match ups came from the decision rendered at UFC 167’s main event.

Johny Hendricks put in a great performance against the long time Champion Georges St-Pierre in Nevada, and was unlucky to come away empty handed. Although the decision had it’s detractors, it also had it’s fair share of supporters. So where do you go from here in the hunt for evolution in the way that MMA fights are scored?

One idea that has been tossed around is an open scoring system, something that could potentially have gargantuan ramifications in the modern MMA landscape. The open scoring system would mean that fighters would know what the judges had scored them for the previous round, unlike the secrecy surrounding the scores at present.  NSAC exec Keith Kizer spoke with MMAJunkie.com regarding the matter:

“First of all, you could have people throwing beer bottles and all that,” Kizer said. “Secondly, even if they don’t throw beer bottles, the judges – and I’ve talked to some of them about this – they’d be afraid. They’d be looking behind them during the next round. Then the rest of the fight after that, there’s the potential for the judges to be distracted.”

The reason Kizer has aired his doubts about the open system is that the NSAC and boxing commission have already considered putting the rule in to play. Kizer’s concern for judges and also for fairplay have guided them away from the idea, as KK explained that fighters may use scorecards to an unfair advantage.

An example could be a fighter faking injury to force a technical decision after winning three rounds; something that could cause a lot more problems than the current system where fighters rely solely on marial arts to win fights while in the cage.

“Either he’s telling the truth, but, you know, you and I won’t believe him,” Kizer said. “Or he isn’t telling the truth, and he managed to keep the belt because he knew he was ahead on the scorecards.”

“If those two things weren’t concerns, I’d love it,” Kizer said. “I’m not one of these people who thinks there’s something special in not knowing until the end.”

Although the commission has moved away from the idea of open scoring, at least we know something is being done about the situation. The NSAC recognizes that they have a problem, and any alcoholic will tell you that’s the first step.

My only question now is what are the options looking forward? If open scoring is out, which it probably is, what else is there but for the NSAC to create their own scoring method? Boxing has it’s own, karate another, wrestling and Judo are unique; so why can’t MMA get on the creative train?

Outer Photos: Jayne Kamin-Oncea and Stephen R. Sylvanie and for USA TODAY Sports