TUF 12 Finale: Stand Up For Your Rights! Better Judging Needed!

TUF 12 Finale Results Show The Need For Requiring Judges In MMA Fights To Have Substantial Training in All Aspects Of The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).  Training In Just Boxing Is Insufficient!


UFC Commentator and martial arts practitioner Joe Rogan joins fans in demanding better judges with substantial training in MMA.  

Fight Metric confirms Garcia's wild punches did not land and Phan won:
Significiant Strikes        Total    Head    Body    Legs    Performance Rating

Phan       102                   116      93      18       5           68
Garcia     64                     70       46       16       8           53



Rogan stated "I don't think the last fight [a split decision for Leonard Garcia over Nam Phan] was close... the decision went the wrong way. It puts a tremendous amount of pressure on fighters not knowing what kind of officiating you're getting. It's gross. You should be able to leave it in the hands of the judges. You should be able to just fight. And we should point out, that is the situation because of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It has nothing to do with the UFC. People keep saying 'oh the UFC!' We have no say whatsoever. And [NSAC executive director] Keith Kizer has denied that there's an issue. I think [Kizer] needs to clean house. There's a few very good judges surrounded by a bunch of incompetent morons, who know nothing about the sport. They need to do something about that, because it's ruining MMA. It's making people think that this sport is corrupt. It has nothing to do with corruption. It's sheer and total incompetence."

Let Keith Kizer at KKizer@boxing.nv.gov know your thoughts!

Who is that older lady shown on TUF shows tabulating the results and why aren't statistics used before rendering a decision?  We would rather wait longer and get proper decisions.  Check out the FightMetric Stats for Garcia vs. Phan

Main Card

- Jonathan Brookins def. Michael Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)

- Stephan Bonnar def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-26)

- Demian Maia def. Kendall Grove via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

- Rick Story def. Johny Hendricks via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

- Leonard Garcia def. Nam Phan via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28) This decision resulted in very loud unrest by the crowd.
See http://blog.fightmetric.com/2010/12/garcia-vs-phan-fightmetric-report.html

Preliminary Card

- Cody McKenzie def. Aaron Wilkinson via submission (McKenzitine guillotine choke) - Round 1, 2:03

- Ian Loveland def. Tyler Toner via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-26)

- Kyle Watson def. Sako Chivitchian via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

- Nick Pace def. Will Campuzano via submission (Pace choke) - Round 3, 4:27

- Pablo Garza def. Fredson Paixao via knockout (knee) - Round 1, 0:51

- Dave Branch def. Rich Attonito via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Saturday, December 04, 2010
by Jason Probst (jprobst@sherdog.com)

28567

Jonathan Brookins: Photo courtesy -- Spike TV

Jonathan Brookins took a unanimous decision over Michael Johnson, winning the TUF 12 finale in a bout in which he overcame a slow start.

Winning on cards of 29-28 (twice) and 29-27, Brookins outwrestled Johnson in the final two rounds after Johnson’s solid standup gave him a big lead in a fast-paced first.

Brookins opened by working for a takedown, and was stymied by a nice piece of defensive wrestling from his opponent. Johnson then drilled Brookins with a right, dropping him, and pounded away with a series of shots, including a pair of big knees in close, and then throwing a dazed Brookins to the mat.

Johnson pressed ahead, landing a pair of good punches that connected flush. With the initiative clearly his, he pressed Brookins against the cage, bursting with confidence and letting his hands go a moment later after they broke, landing a punch and a hard low kick that Brookins caught en route to a failed takedown attempt.

Johnson had a big first round, but Brookins rallied in the opening moments of the second, taking Brookins down and popping him a couple times from half-guard. Brookins seemed to benefit from the tactical shift, gathering his wits and working steadily, landing short elbows while trapping Johnson on the mat.

With the bout clearly up for grabs in the third, Brookins went for a takedown and got it, spilling Johnson to the floor while pinning his back to the cage. After a lengthy battle for position, Brookins obtained near-mount, only to have Johnson reverse him with the two returning to standing position. Johnson then missed a takedown and was lateral-dropped by Brookins.

With just more than two minutes left, Brookins rode it out until the finish, capping off an impressive performance to win the season’s lightweight competition.

Bonnar Rolls Over Pokrajac

Stephan Bonnar scored a unanimous decision with all judges tabbing it 29-26, as he dominated Igor Pokrajac

Bonnar scored a takedown forty seconds into the bout, after opening aggressively and pushing forward. Working from top, Bonnar was unable to strike or force a submission attempt, with the two returning to the feet after a brief sequence of grappling. Moments later, Bonnar sunk a guillotine attempt that Pokrajac escaped, with some apparent trouble as it seemed close.

Then, from top again, Bonnar worked in steady if unspectacular fashion, with Pokrajac turtled and Bonnar working occasional strikes and tying up his wrists.

In the second, Bonnar pinned Igor against the fence and delivered some good knees, with Pokrajac reversing the position. Bonnar then scored a nice takedown from the clinch, landing in side control, and driving home some compact elbows to Pokrajac’s head.

Pokrajac got to his feet and mounted a brief rally, only to find himself planted against the cage again. After the second, Pokrajac was deducted a point for using illegal knees to the head from the bottom position.

Bonnar closed the show in the third round. After eating a kick from a floored Pokrajac to the face (which got Pokrajac another warning), dictating top position and striking in spots, while consistently winning scrambles when Pokrajac made occasional bursts to escape. To his credit, Pokrajac never gave up despite taking a steady thumping.

At the end of the bout, while striking from side control, Bonnar got a point deducted for blows to the back of the head, as Pokrajac turned into him, opening up a gray area which prompted the deduction.
in a light heavyweight tilt.

File Photo

Maia cruised by Grove.

Maia Controls Grove for Easy Win

In a textbook display of grappling prowess, jiu-jitsu ace Demian MaiaKendall Grove in a middleweight contest.

Grove found himself constantly on the defensive as Maia scored single-leg takedowns and dictated the action from top position, using timely ground-and-pound to soften his opponent.

At times, the six-foot-six-inch Grove was able to use his size to get out of bad spots, but Maia simply kept up the pressure, and scored while taking little damage.

The judges scored the bout unanimously for Maia, 29-28 on all cards.

Story Hands Hendricks First Defeat

Rick Story took a unanimous decision over Johny Hendricks in a lackluster bout where both men seemingly canceled out each other’s attack. The defeat was the first of Hendricks’ career.

All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Story.

The two largely negated one another with little substantive action for the duration of the bout.

Garcia Scores Split Decision Over Phan

In the first main-card featherweight bout in UFC history, Leonard Garcia took a split decision in a close bout against Nam Phan.

Two judges scored the bout 29-28 for Garcia, with the third tabbing it 30-27 for Phan.

Garcia opened up strong in the first round, using his aggressive style and looping hooks to take the stanza. Phan covered and evaded or blocked many of them, but Garcia clearly landed more effectively and seemed to be finding his groove.

In the second, it was more of the same for the opening moments, with Garcia letting strikes go until Phan pounced, landing a series of solid punches -- including several pinpoint rights -- to drop Garcia. Unleashing ground-and-pound that was effective, Phan then took Garcia’s back and attempted to work for a rear-naked choke that he was unable to seriously threaten with, but the shift in momentum clearly won him the round.

Garcia continued to push the effort in the third period, however, mixing in occasional body shots and eating blows from Phan while outstriking him two-to-one.