UFC 312 contained some exhilarating action, but one of the biggest talking points was the controversial majority draw between Jimmy Crute and Rodolfo Bellato. The fight had it all: dominance on the ground, hard striking, and a back-and-forth war that kept fans on the edge of their seats. However, when Bruce Buffer announced the ultimate result, many scratched their heads in confusion. One man who didn’t seem particularly impressed was Joe Rogan, who has long been vocal about his issues with MMA judging.
The veteran UFC commentator hosted a Fight Companion watch along with Matt Serra, Brendan Schaub, and Bryan Callen. During the fight, Rogan praised Crute, saying he dominated the first round. Not just that, he also declared a decisive 10-8 victory for the fighter, emphasizing that his ground control and brute force were on full display today. But seeing how the judges are making every round a close call when it comes to their scores, the JRE host highlighted the flaws in MMA judging.
He said, “Yeah, it’s a 10-8 round, but they need to do that more often, ’cause there are too many close rounds that they give 10-9, and then they give a round like this a 10-9.” Joe Rogan did not stop there. He reaffirmed his long-standing frustration with MMA’s current scoring system, claiming that the 10-point system taken from boxing just does not work. “I’ve been saying this forever—we need to get off that f—— stupid boxing system. MMA has too many factors to just have a 10-point system. Doesn’t make any sense.”
The JRE host then mentioned an alternative system suggested by experienced official Doc Hamilton, which used half-points to better distinguish close rounds. Aside from scoring, Rogan also questioned why the UFC only uses three judges per bout.
He asked on Fight Companion, “Only three judges. Why? Tell me, why? Are judges expensive? Get five judges or six judges. Have a bunch of judges.” However, it is worth noting that this wasn’t the first time that Joe Rogan raised issues about the judges in the UFC.
Joe Rogan loses his cool after blasphemous UFC 308 decision
Joe Rogan’s frustration with MMA judging is not new. Long before UFC 312’s majority draw between Jimmy Crute and Rodolfo Bellato, the UFC commentator voiced his concerns regarding some questionable calls made in the Dana White-led promotion. One of the most recent incidents was at UFC 308 when Joe Rogan reacted to the decision of Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal. The JRE host expressed his full confidence that Leal had done enough to secure the victory, but when the judges awarded the fight to Fakhretdinov, the seasoned commentator did not hold back.
Speaking on JRE Fight Companion during the event, the podcaster criticized the inconsistency in MMA judging, as he said, “I don’t know what the rules are… But I think the judges for the most part are the same judges. I think they are like traveling judges. Like the judges they think are the good judges. I think some of them are good judges. But every now and then you get a decision where you’re like, Whoever the f— thought the fight went that way really shouldn’t be doing this on a professional level.” His words reflected the growing frustration of fighters and fans who have watched fights being swayed by absurd scorecards.
Similar to what happened in the Crute vs. Bellato fight at UFC 312, Joe Rogan stated that a fair scoring system could have prevented such issues. The problem is that it has been more than just one poor decision; it has become a long-standing practice in the sport. Whether it’s UFC 308, UFC 312, or other recent events, the UFC commentator’s stance remains consistent: MMA judging needs a severe revamping. What do you think? Will head honcho Dana White consider Rogan’s suggestions? Let us know in the comments.
The post “Doesn’t Make Any Sense”- Joe Rogan Demands Major Rule Changes From Dana White After UFC 312 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
