Instant Replay in MMA: Possible By End of Year

by Gunslinger20 on Jun 17, 2009 1:44 PM EDT Comment 25 comments

According to Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of NSAC in a recent interview with MMAJunkie.com:

"We're trying to find out if there's a way to do limited instant replay." "We're hoping to find a way to do that."

"Actually [instant replay] was an idea years ago, and it just never went anywhere – mainly because of technology – but now I think we're finally there." "It has to be a foul or a stoppage that immediately ends the fight."

The outcome of the Al Turk vs Cro Cop stemmed this investigation as to whether instant replay could be implemented in MMA. Imagine not just the Cro Cop fight, but a lot of the other fights that could have ended differently if instant replay was in effect in the past?

HT: MMAJunkie.com

Poll

Will this...

Help MMA

150 votes

Hurt MMA

38 votes

188 votes | Poll has closed

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Comments

I love this idea.

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, growing up as a child Kimbo Slice was never given any bread with his meals. This is why he insists people... give him his bread."

by xFenixKnightx on Jun 17, 2009 9:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I really want to hear from the folks that said it would hurt. Prima facie, I can’t help but think this is a positive.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Jun 17, 2009 11:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Whoever added the poll to this....

Thank you, I wanted to do that but didn’t quite have the time to do it…. much appreciated…

What the fuck is a "robster craw"?

by Gunslinger20 on Jun 17, 2009 12:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

by Nick Thomas on Jun 17, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I shouldn’t even have to ask anymore, huh Nick…. always there to polish my turds and make them shiney…. thanx Nick :)

What the fuck is a "robster craw"?

by Gunslinger20 on Jun 17, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-polishing-a-turd.html

by mythbuster on Jun 17, 2009 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

NFL

if they do it like the NFL, where there has to be irrefutable evidence or however they worded it, then it should be helpful in certain situations. CC/AlTurk, Johnson/Burns 1, and there were a couple of way too early stoppages recently that caused a big stink too that I can’t remember off the top of my head. But the rules for reversing a refs call need to be as precise and clear as possible.

Alternatively, I think money spent on instant replay setups could be better spent on referee training.

http://www.mma-collective.com/

by schizosmurf on Jun 17, 2009 3:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

:-)

Indisputable visual evidence.

Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

by Richard Wade on Jun 17, 2009 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And again, there will need to be a time limit. Has a time limit to recover from an eye poke ever been established? Last I recall, there was none. It should be 5 minutes, just like the groin shots and just make the replay 5 minutes also.

I don’t think the replay can be used in cases of flash KO’s, but I still think a ref should be able to step in, look at the situation and decide whether to stop/continue the fight. This would need to be an instant decision, literally 1-2 seconds.

I also believe refs and judges should get graded, much like the NFL does with their refs.

If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.

by BJJDenver on Jun 17, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes!

“instant decision” does make pretty good sense. Brandon Vera and Aaron Riley would certainly agree. Instant reply makes sense too of course, but only when the fight will not continue. “Instant decision” and instant reply can definetly make for more equitable outcomes and better fights. I dont sense it being an important issue to Dana so dont count on it happening in the ufc anytime soon.

by naturalist on Jun 17, 2009 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, if the ACs mandate and control it as part of the rules, the promoter has to comply if they want to operate there. And despite Dana’s claims that Vegas is “our town”, the NSAC doesn’t need the UFC to survive.

"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."

by AJB on Jun 18, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think money spent on instant replay setups could be better spent on referee training.

But sir, that would make too much sense!

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Jun 17, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn’t like using it for early stoppages. That’s a judgement call, so it should stay a judgment call and not up to review.

Being poked in the eye, kneeing/kicking the head of a grounded opponent, these are not judgment calls, it’s either yes or no.

And I don’t think it would cost that much, just give them access to the UFC’s feeds, if the show isn’t taped/shown on tv, no instant replay.

Just stick one of the random commission guys in the truck to make sure the people back there show every possible angle.

by Phildo on Jun 18, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

As long as it’s only used in instances were the fight IS NOT going to continue no matter what the call, I can see it helping.

by EnsignFrog on Jun 17, 2009 4:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I am so conflicted about this...

sure, it sounds like a good idea but I can see it opening whole new jars and jars of worms…

BTW I voted “hurt MMA” because, of the two options, I was closest to that one. :\

If they do go with it,I’d much like to see it on some small “test” basis first.

by mythbuster on Jun 17, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you.

I am very worry about how it is implemented.

In the Cro Cop fight when would the IR be reviewed? Cro Cop blasted Turk after the poke. I don’t see restarting the fight AFTER he took damage resulting from the eye poke. That wouldn’t be fair to Turk in a sense he tries to continue after a serious blow to the head.

What happened when a fighter fakes an eye poke to get a brief 2-3 minute rest? Point deduction? What if the video wasn’t conclusive either way? We would have several “reviews” that would stop the flow of a fight.

I like the idea of a fights outcome being overturned using video evidence to a NC. I am just very very very worried Cecil Peoples will get a video monitor.

I think the answer to this concern is better training for refs AND put 2 refs ringside (outside the cage) to call a foul. Or maybe train the refs and let 2 other ref have access to the IR and give them a horn to signal that a foul has occurred. The ref can separate the fighters and confer with a ref who just watched the foul.

I just watched the Hughes vs Trigg II and think that a ring side ref with a monitor could have signal a foul and the ref could have stopped the fight. Hughes would have recieved time to recover but the outcome would have been the same. I would feel cheated on this fight if we had instant replay. Part of Hughes legacy, in my eyes, was the way he survived, turned the corner and finished Trigg.

How many fights would we, the fans be denied a great comeback because IR prevented the action from continuing.

I am curious in the last 30 UFC cards how many fight where won from an unseen illegal blow (groin,eye)?

I fear we will get an over reaction for a small problem that could be addressed in another way.

by Riney on Jun 17, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have

given this more thought. Instead of using a horn or buzzer (with crowd noise this could be an issue) I think using a red LED rope light around the top of the cage would be best. It would give the ref and fans a visual queue that a foul has occurred. The rope light wouldn’t obstruct TV crews or fans.

But, what do I know, I think all main event fights should be 5 rounders.

by Riney on Jun 17, 2009 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d much like to see it on some small "test" basis first.

If i’m not mistaken its been in use in some places for a while now. According to this NJ has been using it since ‘07, but not quite in the fashion we’re discussing here.
Also while loking I was reminded of another ecent bout that had a totalluy blown call that could have been rectified by IR. Mike Aina vs Billy Evangelista.

http://www.mma-collective.com/

by schizosmurf on Jun 18, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good example.

Ruined his undefeated record, not to mention DQ by way of Illegal Knee. If Herb (it was Herb wasn’t it) had seen it the way we saw it, it would have gone down differently.

So if there were an IR available that night, what should have happened? Restart the fight? No Contest? Someone throws the BS card at Aina? I would like to see a restart at this point. Second best would be a NC, but who wants to see any more of those?

by MMAcGyver on Jun 19, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was Herb, and that fight was one of the ones that sways me towards IR despite my natural misgivings.

"I'm AJB and I endorse this nut-puncher."

by AJB on Jun 19, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it appeared, aina injured his jaw (he coulda been faking, who knows) so a restart prolly wouldn’t work there. so I would opt for NC. I’d much rather see a NC than an undeserved DQ loss.

http://www.mma-collective.com/

by schizosmurf on Jun 21, 2009 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The only concern I have is removing the role of the ref as the sole arbiter of when a fight starts or stops. If a guy looking at six monitors sees a nut shot or an eye poke and the ref misses it, what does he do? Sound a horn?

by subo on Jun 17, 2009 7:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs