Combat sports rules are being rewritten in Colorado. Boxing and MMA bouts will now score openly, says Director Tony Cummings of the Colorado State Boxing Commission (CSBC), but will this affect the best online sportsbook in Colorado? The only other state that has passed something similar is Kansas. 

Fighting is easier when there is open scoring. Fans, coaches, and fighters can all follow the judges’ decisions in real-time. Any person who wants to see the scores after each round would be able to see them. Furthermore, fighters would be able to see their scorecards during the bout to determine whether they are winning or losing.

Open scoring in Colorado

It’s up to promoters whether they want to use open scoring. For instance, an event in Colorado such as boxing or MMA does not need an open scoring system, but the promoters may request the system. This would ensure that the scores are transparent. Unfortunately, it is not until the results are read that the score is known in professional combat sports, unlike some of the most popular sports around the world. Adam Roorbach, vice president of the Kansas Athletic Commission, has been working with Cummings on how to implement open scoring logistically. Since February 2020, Kansas has been using open scoring.

Cummings said, “I’ve been around the industry for a long period of time from a coach’s perspective, cornering fighters and stuff like that.” “I think open scoring is about bringing greater transparency to the sport,” he added. “In addition, I think it ensures accountability in real-time. So my answer to that question regarding judging should be immediate. The answer shouldn’t take a couple of days to be given.”

MMA’s Unified Rules of Combat are governed by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) and do not currently include open scoring. However, states and provinces currently regulate combat sports without national or international governance, so whichever jurisdiction wishes can implement their own rules.

Furthermore, the CSBC voted on Tuesday to require commission officials, including judges and referees, to attend continuing education courses. As soon as possible, those in those roles will be required to undergo annual training, according to Cummings.

Changing rules

There have been several rule changes in Colorado this year. CSBC voted in July to adopt ONE Championship’s rules, which allow knees to three-quarter-mounted opponents. Colorado, however, would have an option to use this as well as open scoring. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts are used for Colorado events, according to Cummings.

Cummings said when asked about the state’s changing regulations that he looks at the change being something that sports have needed. That’s how every rule and policy that is adopted is looked at. Do the fighters benefit from it? Likewise, if there are issues from the standpoint of safety or transparency, we’ll investigate. So that’s the take on it.

It caused controversy when Colorado decided to adopt ONE’s rules. According to UFC vice president of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, the UFC would not be returning to Colorado as a result of its recent decisions. Ratner was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last month. The first UFC event was held in Colorado in 1993.

In response to Colorado allowing a ruleset that includes kneeing a grounded opponent in the head, Ratner told The Denver Post, “I’m against it.” According to him, he said to the state governor, “I would love to come to Colorado, but there must be the right rules. I’m against those rules for no reason. I don’t understand why they would do that.”

In his words, Cummings would not be able to speak for the UFC on this matter and said the commission and he are solely focused on what is best for Colorado and its athletes.

A commission can only command Cummings to do what it desires. The decision is theirs. I can’t dictate what they do. So, as a result, we continue to do what we’re doing. Some of these decisions may not be popular, but my commission is investing in making this the best state to hold an event.”

Dana White and open scoring in MMA

MMA’s open scoring has been a source of contention for UFC president Dana White. The open scoring mechanism allows a fight’s score to be revealed after each round. Max Holloway, in particular, has supported the idea and Invicta FC even tried it out in 2020.

At a virtual Q&A with UFC on ESPN’s Laura Sanko, Dana White made it clear that the UFC does not plan to introduce open scoring. As a result of such a plan, White expressed his belief that fighting would become less dramatic, and fighters would play it safe if winning by the third round.

Each bout could end with a highly dull final round, according to White. All you have to do is try not to let this guy get close to you for the next five minutes if you saw your score up there. The result is lots of third-round disasters”.

Bruce Buffer could also lose a lot of momentum under such a plan, White cautioned. He said that the feeling of knowing who wins a fight was “blown away,” adding that open scoring “completely takes away the excitement of finding out who wins.”

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The positives of open scoring

The world of mixed martial arts is infamous for its lousy judging. It is rare to go through an entire MMA event without running into one bout plagued by a dodgy scorecard, whether it is not awarding valid 10-8 rounds or simply stupid decisions. These robberies could be minimized by providing open judging, and fighters losing in their third round would be pressured to step up. It may not be the perfect solution for fight fans, but it gives them something new to consider.