Colorado will be the second state to have open scoring for combat
sports events.
The Colorado State Boxing Commission voted on Tuesday to adopt open
scoring for mixed martial arts and boxing bouts, according to a
report from
ESPN. Colorado joins Kansas as the only states to adopt the
measure. The Kansas Athletic Commission
implemented open scoring in February 2020, and it has been used
consistently at Invicta Fighting Championship events.
Open — or real-time — scoring allows for cageside judges’
scorecards to be public knowledge after each round instead of only
at the end of a bout. That information could prove useful for
fighters, broadcasters and corners alike — and can help determine
an athlete’s approach as a fight progresses.
CSBC director Tony Cummings said that open scoring will be optional
for event promoters in Colorado.
“I’ve been around the industry for a long period of time from a
coach’s perspective, cornering fighters and stuff like that,”
Cummings told ESPN. “[The idea for open scoring] definitely comes
from a transparency perspective. I think it applies real-time
accountability. I should be answering those questions [about
judging] in real time. I shouldn’t be answering them two or three
days later.”