The Couchside Judges MMA Podcast

The Couchside Judges MMA Podcast has reached its end. But between UFC Vegas 91 and Bellator Paris, the fights send the show out with a whole bunch to break down from a wild championship alternative decision to a disqualification. This being the final episode, Dan and Scott have some farewell thoughts and sentiments to express to their loyal listeners. Please stick around to the end as the hosts pour their hearts out. Will anyone cry? Gotta listen to see. BONUS: A mini-data episode, as Scott shares what he learned from finally completing a nearly eight-year dataset of UFC round scores, going back to August 2016 when the ABC passed the revised criteria.

In the penultimate episode of the Couchside Judges, Scott and Dan have their hands full with all sorts of Contested Rounds and Adventures in Officiating from the UFC's return to Missouri. That includes a unanimous 10-8 that the hosts ponder as a potential 10-7. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

It almost happened. The Couchside Judges nearly had a full UFC event without a single Contested Round. And one of the hosts has to accept some (all?) of the blame, as you'll soon find out. Nonetheless, Scott and Dan soldier on and break down the lone round — early in the UFC 301 main event. Plus, Scott and Dan have a major announcement to make. Don't miss this episode. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

More fights were delivered from the UFC warehouse because, hey, ESPN demands it. Most weren't consequential, but they did provide Scott and Dan with three helpings of 10-8/10-9 splits to evaluate. Those, plus a split decision in the curtain jerker, make for the bulk of this week's episode ahead of a more meaty PPV event next week. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

PFL had the weekend to itself amid a post-UFC 300 break. The fights were solid and — blessedly — without major judging controversy. Scott and Dan have six Contested Rounds to break down, and for whatever reason the co-hosts were not on the same page as frequently as usual. But the biggest officiating outcry came in the form of a perceived early stoppage in Brendan Loughnane's win over Pedro Carvalho. Was the trigger pulled too soon? The CSJ weigh in. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Sorry, fellow judging nerds: Scott and Dan have a whole lot of thoughts about the massive UFC 300 before they even get to the scoring breakdown. Just have a good time looking back on the historic card with the hosts until they get to Contested Rounds to examine a pair of split decisions, some 10-8/10-9 splits and two of the most lopsided, potential 10-7s so far this year. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Three straight split decisions to end the night at UFC Apex dominates this week's scoring recap, including from a potential fight of the year contender in the Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis headlining rematch. Less needed to say about PFL's regular season opener in Texas which, against all odds, was practically a beacon of judging normality. Go figure! linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Two days late and two dollars short, but the CSJ are finally back to report on UFC Atlantic City, where Scott was the fellow in the blue shirt and glasses seated behind the blue corner. ("Hello, friends!") Dan and his cohort have a split decision to break down in addition to a handful of other Contested Rounds, but the big officiating subject matter coming out of A.C. was on the refereeing side. Eyes were in plenty of danger on the main card, so the hosts have plenty to say about a pair of finishes influenced to varying degrees by pokes and finger rakes.   linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

You know, the CSJ had every intention of speaking about the Contested Rounds across both UFC Vegas 89 and PFLator. Why will there be no breakdown of the three rounds from two Bellator title fights? Ask ya boi Max! At any rate, Dan and Scott have some thoughts on the five rounds from that Las Vegas warehouse in which the judges weren't on the same page, and they're worth your time ... even if Max doesn't think it's worth its time to make Bellator 302 available for rewatch any time soon. (Not that the hosts are bitter or anything.)

UFC Vegas 88, arguably the most pivotal MMA event in 2024, has come and gone, and — alright, so it was Apex filler of the lowest order. But some fascinating scorecards emerged from the Vegas warehouse over the weekend including a split decision that featured *two* unanimous 10-8s, one for each fighter. You just don't see 28-27s both ways every day, folks. Scott and Dan dive into that one, plus one of those wacky alternative decisions and even some adventures in officiating. Pivotal event? No. Interesting for judging nerds? You bet! linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

One of the deepest cards in UFC history came and went a full five weeks before the milestone UFC 300 threatens to top it. Fortunately for everyone, UFC 299 came and went without much in the way of judging uproar ... but just enough Contested Rounds for Scott and Dan to sink their teeth into. The officials were mostly on the money, but a split decision in the curtain jerker and an 8/9 split to cap Sean O'Malley's impressive decision win in his rematch with Marlon Vera bookended the night. Please allow the CSJ to dig into those scores for your edutainment. lintr.ee/couchsidejudges

Heavyweights .... why did it have to be heavyweights? Scott and Dan ask themselves versions of this question every time there's a non-title heavyweight headliner. Happened both before and after the latest obligatory UFC Apex-staged event, when Jairzinho Rozenstruik fought blandly for four rounds before a merciful stoppage after the fourth — but not before the judges were split on a pair of those rounds. Ugh! Good news: The CSJ had a heaping helping of that sweet, sweet 10-8 vs. 10-9 debate to discuss on this week's episode, once they were done griping over those bothersome bigguns.

No time for Scott and Dan's shenanigans this week with 16 — SIXTEEN! — Contested Rounds coming from the first two-event weekend of the major MMA calendar for 2024. Most of that came from Mexico City, where just about every fight from the night's UFC event had something to revisit on CSJ. Buckle in for five split decisions across two continents, including the rare alternative decision. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

linktr.ee/couchsidejudges The UFC champions list officially had turned over in full in just 18 months, now that Ilia Topuria usurped Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. A smattering of Contested Rounds preceded the main event, and Scott and Dan have some debate about a few particularly intriguing rounds, as well as a disparate split decision from Ian Machado Garry's win over Geoff Neal.

Another week of warehouse fights with UFC branding on them means, yep, Scott and Dan will sift through those Contested Rounds they can't get enough of. Two split decisions and a deceptive, unanimous 29-28 make up the bulk of this week's judging analysis. Much more intriguing is a very unique development for Dan: A Couchside Judge served as real, in-the-flesh shadow judge over the weekend at Cage Fury FC in Pennsylvania. Dan The Man has plenty to share about the revelatory experience, so tune in for that ... even if generic UFC content doesn't tickle your fancy. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

A big week outside the cage — and a smaller one inside it — dominate the discussion this week. Scott and Dan break down what the two rules passed this week in committee would mean if enacted at the ABC conference this summer. One of those directly leads into the latest generic UFC Vegas main event, which incidentally gave us three of this weekend's four Contested Rounds.  linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

A quiet week for the Couchside Judges stuffed between UFC 297 and the next never-ending string of UFC events opened the door for the hosts to give an old Past Judgment a second chance. For this week's Appeal Edition, Scott and Dan went back to the first fight between Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson — the good one, not the stinker of a rematch. Would the more liberal CSJ system's application of 10-8s and 10-7s open the door for the majority draw to yield a clear winner? Watch the fight for yourself on Fight Pass, and listen for our thoughts. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

UFC 297 featured a treasure trove of fascinating judging situations. You got a 10-7(!), an alternative decision, the rare unanimous 29-28 that's not exactly unanimous, a fight in which the judges were split on every round, and even some adventures in refereeing. Scott and Dan have a whole heck of a lot to sift through from the UFC's return to Toronto, so stick around for all of it. This episode ends on a somber note as the hosts pay tribute to longtime NJ/NY judge Donnie Carolei, who recently passed away. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Thanks in part to a high concentration of the most high-volume judges, the UFC's 2024 debut got off to a smooth start in terms of scoring. Even the many stoppages were clean from the referees. But no perfect night at UFC Apex gave Scott and Dan a couple Contested Rounds to wade into the new year. Plus, word of a 10-8 training session with the Nevada State Athletic Commission gave the CSJ reason to revisit a few lopsided rounds from the end of 2023. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

The One With All The Data is back! For the fourth time, Scott (mostly) and Dan dig into some real MMA math and explore judging trends from 2023. And with an expanded (near-complete) database of UFC round scores dating all the way back to the start of 2017, the hosts discuss what thousands upon thousands of rounds tell us about the scoring of fights and the men and women who assess them.

What's Judgment Day (other than a fantastic film sequel)? In a first for the CSJ. Scott and Dan run down the list of the real, actual worst-scored rounds from the year — not the ones the bettors are always whinging about. The full list from 2023 wasn't very big since the state of MMA judging is quite solid, but there's enough for the hosts to rank the worst of the worst scores, separated by 10-8/10-9 splits and wrong round winners. If you want to know what bad judging truly looks like, watch these rounds again like The Couchside Judges did. Linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

The Judgies are back! Scott and Dan look back on the year that was in MMA officiating to hand out the annual awards for top judge and referee, plus plenty more. Join the CSJ for the 2023-capping festivities. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

In the final UFC event of 2023, the cageside judges nearly sent The Couchside Judges into major MMA's winter hiatus with nothing to talk about. Lo and behold: a pre-Christmas miracle arrived in the form of a somewhat surprising Contested Round in the Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brando Moreno flyweight title fight. Scott and Dan break that one down while weighing the 10-7 bona fides of UFC 296's opening fight and the 10-8 argument in a unanimous 10-9 round between Paddy Pimblett and Tony Ferguson. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

The final Fight Night at the UFC Apex has come and gone, leaving Scott and Dan with all manner of rounds to discuss. We had an alternative decision, a more suspect Contested Round, some 8/9 splits and several Couchside Overrides. Listen and learn which rounds were which.

For a change, judging wasn't what came most under fire after a UFC event in Texas. And while Scott and Dan have some strong thoughts on the few rounds the judges' diverged on, the biggest issue came in the form of a late stoppage in "The Fight for Fontana" between Jalin Turner and Bobby Green. The hosts sift through the judging and officiating from what was otherwise an incredibly entertaining evening of fights in the Lone Star State. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Don't know how to put this, but the last week for PFL was kind of a big deal. Scott and Dan have a long to unpack, from both its purchase of Bellator announced last Monday and its season championship night on Friday. The judging itself was largely sharp, even with a heavy workload. But overshadowing the weekly CSJ breakdown of Contested Rounds is a highly unusual situation the likes of which your hosts had not seen. We unpack what exactly happened in this rare happening. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Bellator (on Showtime) came to an end with an exclamation point ... and a tremendous display of on-the-same-page judging. Out of nearly 40 rounds, the officials were unanimous nearly 90 percent of the time, leaving little for Scott and Dan to parse through in Contested Rounds. Well, for Bellator 301, anyway. UFC Vegas 82 offered enough in the way of judging (and refereeing) to break down despite also being largely without perceived scoring controversy. Sit back and enjoy with your favorite MMA scoring nerds. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Scott reports back to Dan on the happenings at Madison Square Garden, which was heavy on finishes and lighter on Contested Rounds. But with a pair of fights with split scorecards — including an alternative decision — there's plenty on offer for the MMA scoring nerd within you. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

So...a little late this week. Like, 3 days late. But Scott and Dan are finally here to break down the scoring from UFC Sao Paulo. And, boy, it kept us busy, Eleven rounds, with five 8/9 splits, get the Contested Rounds treatment as the hosts again lament the current state of language for scoring a 10-8.    linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

A break from major MMA coupled with Francis Ngannou's near-upset of unbeaten champion Tyson Fury in his crossover to boxing had Scott and Dan thinking heavyweights. That's why, in the return of Past Judgment, CSJ turned back the clock 11 years to Cain Velasquez's epic beatdown of Junior dos Santos in their UFC championship rematch. Did the fight, under CSJ scoring, reach the level of the most lopsided final tallies in the segment's history? Watch the UFC 155 main event and listen to our thoughts.   linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Welcome back to the Couchside Doctors ... er, Judges. Yeah, Scott and Dan had to address the shenanigans from UFC 294 that led to two no contests, as well as another fight that featured plenty of field, about as many warnings to various degrees, and no punitive measures.  Oh, and we find time to go over the two Contested Rounds in Khamzat Chimaev's victory over Kamaru Usman, plus a deep discussion of the unanimous 10-8 in that fight's first round. Enjoy, fellow judging nerds! linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

A day late and a dollar short, but the CSJ are back, and this time, Scott doesn't sound like death. Edson Barboza picked up a thrilling, comeback victory over Sodiq Yusuff, one the featured a 10-8/9 split and another one Scott thought was worth considering as such. He and Dan break down those rounds and more from the UFC Apex card. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Just one Contested Round each from a Saturday doubleheader of UFC and Bellator (main card), but those weren't even what set off the social media scoring discussion. That being the case, Scott (with a balky voice bouncing back from a cold) and Dan put that Uncontested Round from Vanessa Demopoulos' win over Kanako Murata under the microscope as well.   linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Want to improve MMA judging? It starts with improving the scoring criteria. Scott and Dan are quick to point out the issues with the document judges work from to score fights, but on a week without major North American MMA shows, the CSJ devoted a full episode to the topic of how to upgrade the criteria. Special guest and fellow MMA judging aficionado Sean Sheehan of Severe MMA & Sherdog joins in on the discussion of what could work, what already does work, and what won't work when it comes to the criteria.   linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Welcome to the Nevada judging pool, Judge Crippler. Chris Leben made his Las Vegas debut as a judge at UFC Vegas 79, and he wasted no time finding his way into a split decision. But not all splits are the same, so Scott and Dan put that fight — Montserrat Rendon vs. Tamires Vidal — under the Contested Rounds microscope alongside seven others from UFC. CSJ also takes a look at the two rounds of Johnny Eblen's middleweight title defense against Fabian Edwards at Bellator 299 after the champion lost a round for the first time in his career ... before securing a finish. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Are you a fan of 10-8 discussions? Are you a MMA judging geek? The answers to those questions go hand in hand, and all who say yes are in for a treat after a Noche UFC card that gifted us nerds five (5!) 10-8/10-9 splits. Three of them came in the prelim opener, but the final one of the night in Las Vegas was perhaps the most pivotal 8/9 split in UFC history, with the scoring of the fifth round of Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 being the difference between a winner and a split draw. Scott and Dan have a ton of thoughts on 10-8s in today's MMA, especially as it pertains to this fight, so get comfy and listen, our fellow scoring dorks. linktr.ee/couchside

Have Sean Strickland winning a clear unanimous decision against Israel Adesanya on your bingo card? Liar! Not even the judges disagreed on any of the five rounds of the middleweight title fight. And a casual glance at the results from the 12-bout lineup indicates very little scoring disagreement. But a look at the scorecards reveals a pair of fights that each had one judge out of step on two rounds from his peers, so Scott and Dan dutifully dive in to see how the officials in Australia scored the action.

France hasn't hosted a heckuva lot of events from major promotions since it opened its (cage) doors to professional MMA, but we're getting a feel for what to expect from the judging for such shows: Trustworthy scores from the veteran UK/European officials and the odd nonsensical headscratcher from the locals. That's certainly how the UFC's return to Paris played on Saturday. Scott and Dan had just three rounds to break down, but one of them ... well, let's say CSJ should be revisiting this one again at the end of the year for a worst-of-2023 discussion. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Chan Sung Jung's career ended as it existed: violently and entertaining as heck. Scott and Dan look to place The Korean Zombie among the most entertaining fighters in UFC history. He and Max Holloway even left a few presents for the CSJ with a pair of Contested Rounds — one close, one lopsided. Plus, one reviewed rounds not only receives a Couchside Override but had the hosts scratching their heads at why they would even be examining it. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Sean O'Malley is on top after dethroning Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. And just before that, Zhang Weili and Ian Machado Garry put on 10-8 level beatings for their respective opponents. Scott, back from vacation, and Dan, who is evidently more committed to CSJ than Scott, have a lot of thoughts on the 8/9 debate in those fights, plus some strong thoughts on a few PFL 8 rounds from a local judge. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

With Scott away on vacation, Spencer Kyte fills in to co-host this episode. With the prelims making this one seem like a light work load, the main card got us to 10 contested rounds, including 2 from Swanson/Dawodu that had twitter screaming robbery...again, what else is new?    linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Dogs, boxing and baseball dominate this week's episode. ... OK, so they just make cameos. At any rate, a high-unanimity rate for UFC Nashville coupled with a ton of finishes at PFL in San Antonio meant not a ton of Contested Rounds across two major events. Nonetheless, the CSJ had dueling 30-27s fall into their lap in Texas, so let your hosts break down the scoring of the split decision in Gabriel Braga's win over Chris Wade. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Plenty of finishes was a mercy to a lighter crew of judges in Salt Lake City on Saturday, but one split decision in the co-main event left Jan Blachowicz feeling robbed in his loss to Alex Pereira. Was he on to something? Did the judges do him wrong? Scott and Dan will take a look at that and more. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

A whole lot of fights and a whole lot of fights going the distance at UFC London, but only one split decision for Scott and Dan to dissect: Daniel Marcos vs. Davey Grant. But with so many scored rounds, CSJ still have some more Contested Rounds to talk about, including two in a unanimous decision victory by Bruna Brasil over Shauna Bannon. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

You get an 8! And you get an 8! No, it wasn't Oprah handing out 10-8s at the UFC Apex on July 15. But with four 8/9 splits and a unanimous 10-8, Scott and Dan are gonna be looking at the degree of victory a whole heck of a lot in this week's episode. Got a pair of split decisions to discuss as well: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Bassil Hafez Azat Maksum vs. Tyson Nam linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

It was Alexander Volkanovski's night in Las Vegas at UFC 290, but judging conversation gripped the MMA world well into the next day. Scott and Dan have only three Contested Rounds to break down — about as few as we get from a UFC card — but they're all in the minds of fight fans. Let the CSJ dig into each one from both Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Moreno and Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner — two split decisions — and sort out of the confusion and vitriol are justified this week. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Miss us? We're back for a special (read: late) edition of CSJ to catch up on the fights in Vegas while Dan was ... in Vegas. And really, this shouldn't have been a controversial card. It was to one particular member of the MMA betting community, so Scott and Dan spend a lot more time than expected with the Ariane Lipski vs. Melissa Gatto split decision (which was very split on MMA Decisions as well). Let's just say we have strong thoughts on why there's no need for strong thoughts on this one. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Can it be? A 10-7!  It's true. The UFC's latest Jacksonville event yielded the promotion's first 10-7 from a judge in nearly 3 years. But was it deserved? Let Scott and Dan explain why or why not. That round was just one of 12 on a busy, decision-heavy card, so check those out. And while there wasn't time to get into the Contested Rounds from PFL, Scott and Dan have some strong thoughts about the organization's decision to suspend a playoff qualifier over a lackluster performance. linktr.ee.couchsidejudges

A few days later than we'd like, but the CSJ are back. And It's happy accident, the extra time gave Scott the chance to sit in on the latest CSAC MMA Officials meeting and report back on some of the proceedings. But there was so, so much more from the weekend to discuss, from Contested Rounds that Dan and Scott couldn't get behind to several Adventures in Officiating, strap in for a marathon of judging. And bring some tissues to this one. Trust us. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

After a week of judging hand-wringing, UFC 289 in Vancouver went down without a hitch — mostly. PFL's resumed regular season was another matter, even in a finish-heavy and entertaining event. Scott and Dan examine the scoring from both events and discuss the career of Amanda Nunes in the wake of her retirement. Linktr.ee/couchsidejudges

Less than a week after the Memorial Day barbecuing cooled, the judging conversation reignited in the UFC Vegas 74 main event. Some walked away from Amir Albazi's split decision victory over Kai Kara-France with the "close fight, not a robbery" mentality. Others ... well, they weren't so happy. The Couchside Judges was made for this moment, so check out what Scott and Dan had to say about what's sure to be one of the most talked-about decisions of the 2023 MMA calendar. linktr.ee/couchsidejudges