Noche UFC Scoring Controversy Causes NSAC To Schedule Training For Judges

Is this the first step towards more accountability for judges in MMA?

Following the controversial result of last weekend’s Noche UFC main event, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will be giving judges a training session this week that specifically focuses on the criteria for a 10-8 round.

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Noche UFC was headlined by the highly-anticipated rematch between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, which took place six months after Grasso upset “Bullet” at UFC 285 to claim the women’s flyweight title.

The second fight between the two women played out as an extremely entertaining affair that featured big moments from each fighter, and Grasso ended up retaining her title when the final scorecards declared the contest a split draw.

A significant amount of attention following Noche UFC has been focused on Mike Bell’s 10-8 scorecard for Grasso in the final round, and according to Ariel Helwani it appears the NSAC has taken note of the controversy.

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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

"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." - Helwani wrote.

Efforts from fighters to appeal results due to perceived judging or referee errors are notorious for almost always being unsuccessful, and although the NSAC’s plan is a promising development there's no guarantee that it will pave the way for results to eventually be overturned. 

The unsatisfactory ending to the Noche UFC main event has understandably generated discussion around a trilogy fight between Grasso and Shevchenko, and “Bullet” has suggested that matchup should take place in her native Kyrgyztstan after implying that Grasso benefited from biased judging at the card in Las Vegas. 

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