Merab Dvalishvili went 5 of 58 on takedown attempts in his quest to regain the bantamweight title from Petr Yan, and if you thought those numbers would tell the whole story for the judges, think again. The way fights are scored, and even how commentary is perceived, is a hotter mess than ever, and it’s time we talked about it.
Daniel Cormier Is Still Taking Shots, But Fighters Hear It Different
Man, the pile-on with Daniel Cormier criticism lately? It’s wild. Personally, I’m not bothered by his commentary the way so many folks seem to be. But then, it hit hard when Dominick Reyes got absolutely steamed about what looked to me like mostly positive, or at least neutral, remarks from Cormier during his fight. And that’s the kicker, right? Fighters, when they rewatch their own fights, hear something completely different than everyone else. They zero in on the tiniest things, convinced they weren’t given enough credit or their opponent got too much. Maybe we’re just spoiled these days, especially with all the former-fighter-turned-color-commentators we’ve got. Believe me, new fans have no idea how rough these broadcasts used to be. UFC 1 literally kicked off with a burp on live TV. So yeah, Anik, DC, and Felder are still my top pick for numbered events, though in a perfect world, I’d swap DC for Laura Sanko.
Your Takedowns Don’t Count For Much, And The Judges Just Confirmed It
Back to Merab Dvalishvili. Five of fifty-eight takedown attempts against Petr Yan! And people are arguing a single kick won a round over those ten-plus takedown defenses. How does that even make sense? Well, it turns out judges are instructed that takedowns that don’t actually lead to anything shouldn’t count for much. This point was hammered home at the Combat Sports Officials Summit. The main thing they’re scoring for? Damage. Plain and simple. It’s only when damage is equal, or nonexistent, that other things might come into play. So yeah, you can shoot for takedowns all night, but if you’re not doing anything with ’em, the judges might not even bat an eye. Makes you wonder what really matters in there, doesn’t it?
Vasiliy Lomachenko’s Return: A Dream Or Just Delaying The Inevitable?
Shifting gears, let’s talk about Vasiliy Lomachenko. The guy turns 39 in February, and it’s been about three years since his last fight. Most people in that spot, well, they’d be enjoying boxing from the sidelines. But Lomachenko? He’s not most people. I can’t help but wonder how his signature move,that magic trick of vanishing and then reappearing off to the side, ready to counter,will hold up with age. More than that, I just wonder why. Is he another fighter who got a taste of retirement and felt like something was missing? Because that’s not a problem a comeback fixes. It just puts it off. It reminds me of that line about Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis: “Young men have visions, old men have dreams. But the place for old men to dream is beside the fire.” You gotta hope he’s not just chasing a ghost.
From the commentary booth drama to the cold hard truth of judging criteria, these conversations are shaping what we see and how we feel about the fights. The debates are clearly just heating up, so keep hitting up @BenFowlkesMMA on X or @Ben_Fowlkes on Threads if you’ve got questions yourself.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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