The Absolutely Bizarre Scorecards of MMA Judge Dave Tirelli
Every once in a while, you hear a scorecard that is so off, so bizarre, and so detached from what everyone else is seeing, that you ponder if the card is even real or not.
How could a judge be so incompetent, that it could drive someone to at least ponder if the card was fixed?
I had this exact thought watching UFC 249, after hearing a 30-27 for Michelle Waterson, and a 30-27 for Carla Esparza… (Note, click “show results” to see the full scoring)
…in the same fight.
The action was slow, sure, and there were some close rounds. However, the general consensus live was 29-28 for either Waterson or Esparza.
This fight also featured a 30-27 to Esparza from Howard Reichbach, whose only major MMA judging experience came in late 2014, where he judged two WSOF events.
So lets throw him into a UFC event in 2020, ‘cause why not?
Anyway, it’s not the first time that Dave Tirelli had a bizarre scorecard, or even a bizarre scorecard in favor of Michelle Waterson.
While Tirelli did not score this fight for Waterson, he did give Michelle Waterson round 3 in her fight vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October of 2019.
In the 3rd round, Waterson was outstruck 36 to 8, Waterson lost in the takedown department 2-1, and each had a submission attempt. There’s no objective stat to explain this round.
Per MMA Decisions, it gets even worse when one looks at fan scoring. 89.7% of fans scored the round for Joanna, and it does not appear that any media members scored any round for Waterson. Only 2.6% of fans scored it 49-46 Joanna, and it was far more likely that anyone giving a round to Waterson, was given the 4th round, not the 3rd.
How does something like this happen?
Is it corruption or incompetence? Or does it even matter?
In November 2019 in NYC at UFC 244, Dave Tirelli was in attendance, and scored Till vs. Gastelum.
…for Gastellum.
Only 1.6% of fans scored it 30-27 for Gastelum.
While less controversial, 30-27 Lewis was still an unpopular card, only given out by only 16.7% of fans.
Ricky Simon vs. Ray Borg last Wednesday (May 13th, 2020) for UFC on ESPN+ 29 was another fight with a bizarre scorecard.
Tirelli was assigned to the fight.
Most of the media had it 29-28 Simon. Some had it 30-27 Simon. However, they had Simon winning.)
Tirelli scored it 30-27… Borg.
Not a single fan scorecard submitted to MMA Decisions had it 30-27 Borg.
Didn’t matter to Dave Tirelli, who appears to live on his own fucking planet when he sits down at the scoring table.
It was a scorecard so bizarre, it drove Chael Sonnen to make a video about it, entitled: “The Judges In Florida Are Confusing Me”.
At UFC 220, Miocic vs Ngannou, Tirelli was on deck for Gian Villante vs. Francimar Barroso.
You should be sensing a theme at this point, Tirelli scored it 29-28 Barroso.
WHAT IN THE FUCK HOW ON EARTH IS THAT A SPLIT DECISION
Four of the top five comments are directly related to how insane Tirelli’s card is.
These are still examples of absolutely awful cards, and should be indicative collectively of a judge who is simply incapable of judging MMA fights.
However, the above occurred in three different states, under the jurisdiction of three different athletic commissions. As a result, it becomes more and more difficult to take substantive action.
Whether it is incompetence or corruption, it is hard to determine.
However at some point, we will need a Federal athletic commission if we really intend on making this a sport with any kind of consistent judging.
The states have proven time and again they are simply incapable of regulating themselves or their judges on their own.
submitted by /u/BasicallyClean
[link] [comments]
The Absolutely Bizarre Scorecards of MMA Judge Dave Tirelli from MMA