Placing MMA judging under the microscope after each UFC event, The Couchside Judges examine all the rounds fight fans are debating at home. Hopefully, you’ll learn a thing or two along the way.
Episodes
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
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!
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Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
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.
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Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
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.)
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
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!
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Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
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.
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Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
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.