You can add Tim Sylvia‘s name to the list of MMA fighters who were displeased with the decision in UFC 86′s Forrest Griffin-”Rampage” Jackson title fight. In a new interview with the Baltimore Sun’s MMA blog Sylvia calls for MMA judges to be certified every year in order to justify their privileged position at cageside:
MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could change anything about the sport, what would it be?
Sylvia: There’s a couple things. I would like to see knees and foot stomps allowed on the ground and I would like to see all the judges go to classes and get certified and have to re-certify every year. Just like fighters have to apply for licenses. I think judges have to take classes and know more about MMA. You can’t just have boxing refs judge doing MMA. It’s not working and fighters are getting screwed because of it.
[...]
MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think about the decision in the Forrest Griffin-Quinton Jackson fight? Did you think Griffin won?
Sylvia: No, I didn’t. I love Forrest, he’s a great guy and they are both good friends of mine, but that’s why I was talking about judges. I really believe Forrest won round two and I believe he won five, and Quinton dominated the first round — maybe a 10-8 round — and won rounds three and four 10-9, but judges just weren’t educated enough in MMA.
Certification is an interesting concept. I’d love to see what Big Tim would come up with as a test for MMA judges to take. I’m guessing it would look something like this:
Having sex while wearing the heavyweight championship belt is:
a) pretty sweet
b) wicked awesome
c) possibly unsanitary
d) I have no idea because I’m a stupid jerk who likes Randy Couture
If the SAT’s taught me anything, it’s that these standardized tests always try to trick you by planting an answer that seems right but is really just a trap. So think hard…









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commentsSorry guys, rough day on the loading dock.
(punches self in nuts)
Oscar, Pride was good but not perfect. Some of the worst/bias calls ever were in Pride, and the judging was fucking terrible.
UFC should do that robot strikes counter that Strikeforce? uses? show you how many punch, kicks, submission attempts and executed!
We also need a legit tree of fighters so we can see who is going to fight who based on climbing up the latter not what the UFC decides!
Ex. If fighter A hits fighter B with a right hook and scores a knock-down, but fighter B locks in a triangles and almost submits fighter A in the same round, who won the round?
Good idea though, since cecil peoples would fail the test as soon as they handed it to him we'd at least have one less judge who has his head firmly encased between his ass cheeks.
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