Boxing and UFC scoring...

[Ekirh]

I know Dr. Zoidberg and/or H20 Man will answer the first one . . and I know someone around here will answer the second one . . . but how does the scoring work in these? I watched Wendesday Night Fights Recently and I never understood how the scoring system work. . .


and after 4 fricken decisions in UFC's Ultimate Fight Night last night . . I guess it be good if I start learning how their decision system works. . .

Thanks.

[dr.zoidberg]

1. I'll give it a go.

In boxing, the scoring is on a 10-point must system. In the 10-point system, the winner of the round receives a 10 while the loser receives a 9. In the case of a knockdown, the loser of the round gets an 8, unless the fighter that was downed manages to dominated the rest of the round, in which case it is scored 10-9 instead of 10-8. Fighters can lose points by the decision of the referee in cases of fouls. If the winner of a round has a point deducted, then the round is scored 9-9, if the loser of a round is deducted a point, the score is then 10-8.

Earlier systems simply had the judges give the round to whoever they felt won the round. This did not reward fighters for causing knockdowns, nor punish then for fouls. The current system is not perfect, but it beats the amateur system, that for some reason, doesn't count body blows often, if at all.

[H2O Man]

2. Good call, Dr. Z.

It used to be that there were other scoring systems, often from state to state, in boxing. California had an odd one, that was based on the 5-point must. Knockdowns really made a huge difference, and after Jerry Quarry got a draw then a win over former champ Floyd Patterson, a lot of non-CA fans were upset.

The round by round system was weak for the reasons described.

In some states, a judge can take away a point without the referee calling the foul. Efforts to make judging more uniform offers some advantages, but a good judge will usually make fair calls in most fights.

I used to ref and judge amateur fights in NYS. There was a "rating system," where they kept a score of how often you were with the majority, so to speak. Bad judges can be identified, and not used. Same with refs. In amateur and the "club" professional fights, going to a guy's hometown often means you need to knock him out to win. I have seen robberies.

Some cities have their own flavor. Vegas judges didn't seem to like Haglar; they did like Leonard. Hence, Ray was able to get every advantage (gloves, ring size, mat-thickness, and 12 rounds when some championship fights were still 15). Don King tended to hire judges who return the verdict he prefers.

[Ekirh]

3. Thanks for the answers guys . . .

So am I to assume that it never goes below 8?

[dr.zoidberg]

4. In the case of multiple knockdowns, yes.

If a fighter gets knockdown twice in a round, it's a 10-7 round, three times a 10-6. Anything below a 10-7 is usually done by a judges' discretion. In know that Harold Lederman, who does the unofficial scoring for HBO, doesn't like to go past 10-7, at all.

[Ekirh]

5. Thank you very much

Next time I watch boxing on free television I'll attempt to keep score and see if I have the knack of it. Again appreciate the answers.