Changing The 10-Point Must System

What is it?

The 10-point must system is a scoring system used in professional mixed martial arts organizations, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Under this system, judges score fights on a scale of 10 points, with the winner of each round receiving 10 points and the loser receiving 9 points or lower. The fighter with the most points at the end of the fight is declared the winner.

What are the problems?

This system suffers from two major problems:

1. Judges can’t award a 10-10 round even if both fighters did equally well. One fighter has to win the round. 

2. 10-8 rounds are supposed to be awarded when one fighter is absolutely dominant in the round, yet they are rarely awarded. Judges are either too hesitant or unsure when to score rounds as 10-8 rounds.

In combination, these issues lead to some absolutely bizarre decisions, and incentivize fighters to focus on winning rounds rather than finishing fights.

How to improve the system

1. The 10-point must system needs to be changed from 10 points to 2 points for the sake of clarity.

2. Judges should be able to score rounds as 2-2. A 2-2 round should be defined as a round where both fighters had moments of success in the round and any advantage by one fighter is negligible. 

3. A 2-1 round should be defined as a round where both fighters had moments of success in the fight, but one fighter had a clear advantage.

4. A 2-0 round should be defined as a round where one fighter was completely dominant and the other had few if any moments of success. 

With this system in place, far fewer questionable decisions will occur. The only drawback to this system is that it will certainly produce more draws. Some people may view draws as a problem, but it is important to remember that if two fighters are evenly matched, the result should be a draw. There is no justification for arbitrarily declaring one fighter the winner and another the loser in these cases. It is worth noting that losses on a fighter's record can have significant consequences, including damaging their legacy, affecting their ranking and future opponents, and potentially impacting their income. As true MMA fans, we should not want to see fighters unfairly penalized in this way. Instead, we should recognize that draws are a natural and fair outcome when two fighters are evenly matched, and appreciate the skill and effort that went into the fight.