UFC fans were able to ask UFC President Dana White questions on the last TUF aftermath show. One fan wondered whether or not the UFC's head honcho would be willing to amend the rules to avoid future draws. Much to my surprise, it's something he's in favor of. To wit:
Dana White Open To Extra Rounds To Settle Draws
Question: You do it on TUF, this would be an awesome addition.
Dana White: “Yeah I don’t disagree with that. I hate draws. I think it’s such a waste of everybody’s time and energy. It’s something that I would definitely explore.”
I take a slightly different position. I’d be in favor of an extra round added on a three-round bout, but not in the case of a five.
I realize that's problematic on two grounds. It's sounds somewhat arbitrary and it partially is. I also have to acknowledge Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar was a five-round fight and still ended in a draw. But five-round fights almost always offer enough adjudication time to determine a winner. Three-round fights, by contrast, often end when momentum is beginning to shift.
Categorically saying no to the extra round is misguided. Universal application seems aggressive, but extra time is a solution that applies to other combat sports like wrestling or kickboxing. Some jiu-jitu tournaments don’t end until there’s a submission. That’s not the same as adding time to a period of competition to resolve a dispute, but it is tantamount to the idea that underpins an extra round (or period): keep competing until there’s a clear winner.
I don’t think it’s sufficient to say proper scoring would resolve this issue. If anything, it’s likely to exacerbate it. As more judges become willing to dole out 10-10 rounds, the more draws are likely to pop up. This doesn’t cover a huge swathe of fights, so 10-10 rounds are hardly the only causes of draws. 10-8 first rounds followed by two 9-10 rounds also result in the same outcome. Or any other numerical permutation. All I’m underscoring is that blaming the bad judging or the 10-point must system on the incidence of draws is misguided.
If you’re against adding rounds, you are on it’s own terms. Perhaps because of timing or safety concerns, both of which would be strong rebuttals to White’s suggestion. Just don’t lazily point to judges or scoring criteria. They’ve got little to do with it.
See More:
