Following the controversies surrounding the scoring at UFC 247, a decision has been made by the Kansas Athletic Commission (KAC) to experiment with real time open scoring.
Marc Raimondi of ESPN reports that the KAC will give all promotions running events in the state the option to use the open scoring system starting on March 1. The system works by having the KAC reveal the scores for each fight in between each round, with those scores being relayed to the fighter?s corners, the fans in attendance and the broadcast team.
The KAC is also giving the promoters a lot of freedom with the scoring system, as it could be used on a fight by fight basis or the scores for each round only given to select people.
Invicta FC is going to be the first promotion to use the system when the run the Phoenix Series 3 on March 6, as the promotion issued the following press release:
Phoenix Series 3 to Feature Open Scoring on Friday, March 6
Kansas City, Kan. ? INVICTA FC is again on the apex of innovation in the sport of mixed martial arts. The world?s premier all-women?s combat sports organization announced that it will trial open scoring at the upcoming PHOENIX SERIES 3 event scheduled for Friday, March 6 in Kansas City, Kan..
The event will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission, who today announced they will offer open scoring as an option to all MMA promotions.
Under the commission?s direction, all three judges? scores will be collected at the end of each round. The scores will then be provided to the corners of each fighter, as well as the promotion?s broadcast team, via commission officials. A graphic will be displayed on the broadcast revealing the scores to the viewing audience both in the arena and at home.
Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp said, ?We?ve been considering open scoring for some time and, with the Kansas Athletic Commission?s decision to allow open scoring, we welcome the opportunity to use it on a major MMA promotion for the first time.?
While open scoring has been used in other combat sports, no major MMA organization currently utilizes the format.
Knapp added, ?Invicta FC has always been about innovation. There are theoretical arguments for and against open scoring, but we think anything that could potentially improve the sport is worth trying. We are going into this event with an open mind. Afterwards, will regroup with the commission, our athletes and listen to fan feedback in order to make an informed decision about the future.?
PHOENIX SERIES 3 features eight fighters competing in a one-night, single-elimination bantamweight tournament, as well as undefeated 24-year-old phenom Lisa ?Battle Angel? Verzosa (5-0) squaring off with The Ultimate Fighter alum Julija Stoliarenko (8-3-1) of Lithuania for the vacant Invicta FC bantamweight title. All fights will be contested using open scoring. For the full fight card and ticketing information, click here.
About Invicta FC:
Invicta Fighting Championships (invictafc.com) is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women?s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.