- NSAC will retrain all its licensed judges about the 10-8 scoring
- The report came in light of the questionable split draw of Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko rematch
Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko’s rematch at Noche UFC is being plagued with controversy following a questionable 10-8 scorecard from one of the judges. A recent report states that NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) is planning to hold a refresher training session for all licensed judges about the 10-8 ruling.
NSAC is trying to fix it
With more and more people from the MMA and community buzzing about it, NSAC is now reportedly trying to prevent such matter from happening in the future by retraining judges about the Xs and Os of the 10-8 scoring, per MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
“Nevada State Athletic Commission will be holding a special 10-8 training session for all licensed judges on Wednesday, I’m told,” Helwani wrote. “Of course, this is in light of Saturday’s scorecard controversy.”
Nevada State Athletic Commission will be holding a special 10-8 training session for all licensed judges on Wednesday, I’m told.
Of course, this is in light of Saturday’s scorecard controversy.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 19, 2023
The 10-8 score really depends on judgment
For what it’s worth, the Unified Rules of MMA states that a judge should have to observe a wide array of metrics before coming up with a 10-8 score.
In a copy of the unified rules available online, a 10-8 should only be given if any or all of the following instances take place in a round.
“A score of 10–8 does not require a fighter to dominate their opponent for 5 minutes of a round. The score of 10–8 is utilized by the judge when the judge sees verifiable actions on the part of either fighter. Judges shall ALWAYS give a score of 10 – 8 when the judge has established that one fighter has dominated the action of the round, had duration of the domination and also impacted their opponent with either effective strikes or effective grappling maneuvers that have diminished the abilities of their opponent.
“Judges must CONSIDER giving the score of 10–8 when a fighter shows dominance in the round even though no impactful scoring against the opponent was achieved. MMA is an offensive based sport. No scoring is given for defensive maneuvers. Using smart, tactically sound defensive maneuvers allows the fighter to stay in the fight and to be competitive. Dominance of a round can be seen in striking when the losing fighter continually attempts to defend, with no counters or reaction taken when openings present themselves. Dominance in the grappling phase can be seen by fighters taking DOMINANT POSITIONS in the fight and utilizing those positions to attempt fight ending submissions or attacks. If a fighter has little to no offensive output during a 5 minute round, it should be normal for the judge to consider awarding the losing fighter 8 points instead of 9.
“Judges must CONSIDER giving the score of 10–8 when a fighter IMPACTS their opponent significantly in a round even though they do not dominate the action. Effectiveness in striking or grappling which leads to a diminishing of a fighter’s energy, confidence, abilities and spirit. All of these come as a direct result of negative impact. When a fighter is hurt with strikes, showing a lack of control or ability, these can be defining moments in the fight. If a judge sees that a fighter has been significantly damaged in the round the judge should CONSIDER the score of 10–8.”
At this point, NSAC has yet to make any announcement about the 10-8 scorecard that resulted in a split draw in the Grasso vs. Shevchenko II. The commission also hasn’t overturned anything yet about the result.
After the fight, Shevchenko voiced her disappointment over the 10-8 scorecard. Grasso, meanwhile, is not bothered by it and insists that she’s down for a trilogy fight or a showdown against a new challenger.
