Got a problem with Sal D’Amato’s 10-8 score for Michael Chandler over Charles Oliveira in Round 1 of their lightweight title fight at UFC 262? Take it up with the judging criteria in the Association of Boxing Commission’s unified rules of mixed martial arts.
“The criteria, if you read it, does call for that round, you could score it a 10-8,” D’Amato told MMA Junkie Radio on Thursday. “Now, I see the argument for 10-9, but that night I scored it 10-8, and one of the reasons why is, in the criteria, it states what is a 10-8.”
According to the unified rules that D’Amato and other judges rely on, a 10-8 score “does not require a fighter to dominate their opponent for 5 minutes of a round.” A 10-8 score should be awarded if “one fighter has dominated the action of the round, had duration of the domination and also impacted their opponent with either effective strikes or effective grappling maneuvers that have diminished the abilities of their opponent.” A 10-8 score should be considered if “a fighter IMPACTS their opponent significantly in a round even though they do not dominate the action.”
Earlier this week, Daniel Cormier, who called UFC 262 cageside, was among the most vocal critics of D’Amato and Chris Lee, the two judges who scored the first round 10-8 for Chandler, because the round was largely competitive. Chandler landed two hard left hooks that stunned Oliveira and appeared close to a finish with two minutes remaining. But in between those big moments, Oliveira controlled 90 seconds of mat time from Chandler’s back.
The Round 1 scores proved to be moot as Oliveira scored a TKO of Chandler early in the second to claim the 155-pound title. Even so, they irked a large portion of fans and media alike. D’Amato’s justification for his 10-8 score goes back to what’s in the criteria.
“Our criteria also states that a 10-8 round, if a fighter damages his opponent and doesn’t need to dominate the entire round,” D’Amato said. “Well, I would say that Oliveira was damaged in that round. He was close to being finished. As far as myself and Chris Lee, who was the other gentleman who scored it (10-8), we both spoke a lot many, many times after that, and one of the reasons we scored it that way is because he was almost finished. Now, of course, Oliveira had his moments – took his back, took him down. To me, he wasn’t really threatening from the back.
“He held position, and then Chandler reversed him, and then two minutes to go, really, (Chandler) almost knocked him out. Oliveira kind of turtled up and took some shots and then went onto his back. I think if he doesn’t go onto his back, that fight could be stopped with another punch. And so that’s why I did it.”
But even D’Amato admits there’s gray area now that he’s rewatched the fight.
“If I had to do it over again, maybe I wouldn’t be so anxious to pull the 10-8,” D’Amato said. “Watching it again, maybe Oliveira wasn’t as hurt as I thought initially. And so maybe I wouldn’t pull it. I don’t know.”
He continued, “A 10-9 round is where a combatant wins a round by a close margin. That’s a 10-9 – a close margin. A 10-9 is where one even wins by one technique. This wasn’t the case. So was it a 10-9? I think it’s closer to the 10-8 than it is a 10-9.
“At the time, real time, I thought, ‘I’m more 10-8 than 10-9,’ and that’s why I did it. That’s what we struggle with (as judges).”
Watch the full exclusive interview in the video above to hear D’Amato speak more on Chandler-Oliveira, his regret in judging Glover Teixeira vs. Anthony Smith last year, and go in depth on the judging criteria, which can be found here.
