UFC 129 Results: Great Judging Should Be Applauded Sometimes
by Tim Burke on May 1, 2011 11:00 AM EDT
in UFC Editorial
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As your resident WEC homer, I was elated when I saw Ben Henderson's hand get raised last night at UFC 129. He is one of the big three (along with Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone) that face the real responsibility of showing that WEC guys can hang at 155 in the UFC, and two out of three have come up big so far. Don't worry though, this post isn't about the WEC. It's about how hard it is to judge a fight. 30-27 across the board? Color me surprised.
Mark Bocek fought a marvelous fight last night. He had a plethora of takedowns, a deep anaconda choke, a dangerous guillotine, and a strange leg lock that looked like he could have blown out Bendo's knee if he just leaned forward. He also landed a lot of quality shots standing and did a good job pretty much everywhere. It was an admirable performance, yet he lost every round on every card. And it was absolutely the right call.
After watching the fight again, the only round that I could see Bocek winning was the first. Either way though, what I said to my friends after the 2nd was "I have it 20-18 Henderson, but I bet the judges have it 20-18 Bocek or 19-19". And after the fight was over, I genuinely thought Bocek might win a 29-28 split or UD. 30-27 times three shocked me. And upon reflection, that kind of saddens me.
Without getting into the specifics of the judging "crisis" in MMA, I find it a bit pathetic that I have to score a fight two ways now - the way I see it, and the way I think a judge will see it. The takedown is king to a lot of judges, and if Fighter A puts Fighter B on his back a couple of times, it seems to negate all of Fighter B's offensive output. In this particular case, Bocek actually threatened on the ground so it's a little bit different, but let's face it - Ben Henderson's offense should have been worth more than Mark Bocek's. In every round. And surprisingly enough (at least to me) - it WAS worth more to the three people that matter.
As fans, we love to blow up at judges and their supposed mistakes. Twitter was on fire after it was announced that Douglas Crosby scored the Aldo/Hominick fight 50-43. It turns out that it was just read wrong and he actually had it 48-45, but a lot of people probably still don't know that. Instead of harping on that kind of stuff, why dont we focus on some positives for once? How about, just this once, we give some credit where credit is due?
Douglas Crosby, Sal D'Amato, and Claude Paquette - thank you for doing a great job in the Bocek/Henderson fight last night. Rest assured that your work is appreciated, even if its only by me.
More Bloody Elbow UFC 129 Results and analysis:
- Georges St. Pierre Holds Back UFC's Canadian Coming Out Party at UFC 129 - Jonathan Snowden
- Is Steven Seagal Secretly a Martial Arts Genius? - Jonathan Snowden
- UFC 129 Post-Fight Press Conference Video
- Play by Play and Live Commentary - Brent Brookhouse
- Georges St. Pierre Slips Past Jake Shields
- Jose Aldo Holds Off Mark Hominick
- Lyoto Machida Clouts Randy Couture
- Vladimir Matyushenko Mops the Floor With Jason Brilz
- Ben Henderson Whips Up On Mark Bocek
- Rory MacDonald Ragdolls Nate Diaz
- Jake Ellenberger Brutalizes Sean Pierson
- Claude Patrick Edges Daniel Roberts
- Pablo Garza Submits Yves Jabouin
- John Makdessi KO's Kyle Watson With Spinning Back Fist
- Jason MacDonald Triangles Ryan Jensen
- Ivan Menjivar Clocks Charlie Valencia
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A night virtually free of any big fuckups!
I gave hominick rds. 2 and 5 myself. Some people disagreed with me on 2 but either way, what a fight. What a night! I didnt even care that the Nuckleheads lost. THX UFC!!!
If you wanna throw down in fisticuffs, fine! I've got Jack Johnson and Tom O'Leary waitin' for ya...right here!
I actually hadn’t even thought of this! How nice to have an entire event without anyone being “robbed” etc.
Let me Help you out
How rare nice to have an entire event without anyone being "robbed" etc.
Jules: Normally, both your asses would be dead as fucking fried chicken, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much shit this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ass.
Honestly, most people love to throw around the term robbed and apply it to any controversial decision. Example, Rua was robbed during his first fight against Machida. No, it was a close fight but I just think fans are too lazy and won’t take a second to consider the rules of the State Commission.
And some times they really fail to pay attention to how past similar fights have been scored but yet they will continue to bitch and complain. And like Tim Burke said, will not acknowledge good judging.
I tend to be biased towards strikers . . . exciting strikers.
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VEe is ANIMated!
by VeeisAnimated on May 1, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Agree.
UFC fan can be fickle at best. Lord knows how many people were saying, “omg GSP keeps saying he cant see out of his eye, well neither could Josh when they fought.” There is a BIG difference between getting your eye swollen, and getting your cornea scratched. Shit happened to me in high school and eye couldnt see out of it for a week. He was lucky Shields striking is just that bad.
Jules: Normally, both your asses would be dead as fucking fried chicken, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much shit this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ass.
I’m really wondering how different that fight would have been if Shields was a better striker.
I’m surprised that Shields’ striking gave GSP some serious problems. Shields is not faster than GSP and definitely not as athletic. Weird fight.
I tend to be biased towards strikers . . . exciting strikers.
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VEe is ANIMated!
by VeeisAnimated on May 1, 2011 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
I love GSP's combination.
I see that Rory McDonald and Frankie Edgar are using some of his techniques. BUT SERIOUSLY, WTF happened?
This was Shields. Shields striking is strictly used for the takedown.
What was up with the continuous wild right over hand?
I tend to be biased towards strikers . . . exciting strikers.
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VEe is ANIMated!
by VeeisAnimated on May 1, 2011 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
When you cant see out of one eye,
you go into a survival/ panic mode.
Guys give him a break, he had one fight where he didnt dominate and in that fight he couldnt see out of one eye. Now people are beginning to question his boxing? GSP is still GSP.
Jules: Normally, both your asses would be dead as fucking fried chicken, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much shit this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ass.
You’re absolutely right. But if you’re stopping Shields takedowns and you have all the tools that GSP has . . . wassup.
I’ll cough it up to a bad night.
I tend to be biased towards strikers . . . exciting strikers.
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VEe is ANIMated!
by VeeisAnimated on May 1, 2011 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
i don’t think it was the eye or the crowd or pressure or weight cut or he has some how declined in skill……i think it was just a bad night
as to this post, right on Beer Monster. it is important to praise the good so we all feel better about tearing them up when the shit the bed.
"There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes. ~James Morrow
"There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."-Steven Wright
by F'n Clownshoes on May 1, 2011 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Did the same thing with our friends viewing experience
How we judge it, and how the judges would judge it.
I can appreciate this
We complain about the judges so often, they need to be praised when they do a good job.
The GSP/Shields fight
I don’t know how, but Jake was one round away from an upset. If he would have stole(somehow) round 5, the interwebz would crashed.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
Shields won round 5 – he stuffed a takedown and outstruck GSP 25 to 15 that round – so the two judges got that right. But think if Shields could have slipped one or two of GSP’s punches while countering with one or two of his own and gaining a takedown he could have easily been given any of the other rounds. That speaks to how much GSP wasn’t winning the other rounds but edging him out. And truthfully, that’s kind of sad on both fighter’s parts.
For some reason
I thought the judges gave him round 2.
Yeah, that was my point exactly. GSP could have easily lost in an extremely lack luster fight.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
That speaks to how much GSP wasn’t winning the other rounds but edging him out. And truthfully, that’s kind of sad on both fighter’s parts.
This is the Gospel Truth.
It just goes to show you how well both guys can steal rounds. Shields and GSP have both become a little too good at playing the game.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
That's one fight I would not have wanted to score.
I had it really close with Bendo probably taking it. Judging is a very tough job in MMA.
by Wrestling Uber Alles on May 1, 2011 11:37 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah, I do the same thing
And it’s refreshing to know that the Crosby scorecard was misread. But yeah, it’s a shame that judges in some regions cause us to judge how we judge, and then judge how they do/might. Toronto and New Jersey give me hope, though.
"I can be friends with anybody. Man. Woman. Cat. Dog. Fish..... Alien." -Rampage
Can we stop with the fighters proving the WEC is worthwhile nonsense, please, because they don’t have to. Nobody coming from another minor organization is considered repping for his entire organization. A WEC guy need to show he can hang in the UFC. Period. Whether every other WEC guy never wins, or goes undefeated doesn’t reflect on how good a guy is, only what he accomplishes does. Henderson has 0 responsibility to the other WEC fighters.
Just Blog Guy - http://JustBlogGuy.wordpress.com/
Amazing Post
I find it a bit pathetic that I have to score a fight two ways now
I do this all the time. I score for myself/MMA and simultaneously i score fights for the judges. It was nice that those judges understood that Bocek’s top game was mostly negated by Henderson’s striking, but also by the fact that he did little damage or anything offensive. Going into the calling of the fight i was like, “this fight can literally go anyway, it can be 30-37, or 29-28 for either fighters on both receiving sides”. I was a little worried when the first 30-27 was called because i wasn’t sure if Bendo did enough in the judges eyes. Im glad he has his first UFC win, this was a great fight to open up such a historic card.
I wish death upon no one, but not all deserve to live.
I'm still going to bitch
2 judges gave Shields a round in which he was floored by a headkick
its like thanking a toilet for flushing properly
this is how judging should be done, it should be the standard, instead we are so grateful because of the terrible surprises from past judges
Imagine if every day at least once your shit was bound to bubble back up out of the toilet if you flushed it
It pissed you off, but you grew to reluctantly expect it. That is the state of MMA judging.
That scramble
after the attempt to really set the choke was thwarted by the Bendo roll and then the subsequent attack on the feet were pretty legit
if I was a judge I would take into consideration what occurs after the takedown, and reversal is 2 points in wrestling vs a takedown being 3…
¬_¬
by ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ on May 1, 2011 4:23 PM EDT reply actions
how were they "pretty legit"
if he did not even attempt a sub after the sweep. No heel hook. No toe hold. He tried to transition to the back and wasn’t even close. Henderson’s speed scrambles were too much. Would you give Bocek credit for that Omoplata too? He attempted it but the position only existed for a split second
by RightTriangle on May 4, 2011 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions
what dya want? a cookie?
..giving credit for what they are supposed to do. Please…
How was Bendo v. Bocek close at all?
Bocek threw a few straight rights in the 1st and had a standing guillotine attempt that he missed pulling halfguard on.
Henderson punished bocek every round. When bocek tried to play open guard stuff, Henderson ground and pound was nasty.
I like Bocek and thought the Marcelotine and single x-guard transition were cool but i thought he was acting delusional during the decision when he held his hand up expecting to win a fight that he got outstruck 114 to 36.
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