Oktagon MMA to employ open scoring for fights starting with upcoming event
Oktagon MMA will employ open scoring for all fights starting with the promotionās upcoming event from the Czech Republic on Friday, Dec. 29.
The European promotion made the announcement on Wednesday, with Oktagon 51 scheduled to kick off at 12 p.m. ET from the O2 Arena in Prague.
Open scoring will be provided for the athletes and their coaches in the corner, with the scores also shown to the crowd and the viewing audience after each round. Promotion officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that the plan is to continue using open scoring at all future Oktagon MMA events.
Over the past few years, numerous fighters have called for open scoring to be employed to offer the athletes a chance to know where they stand, especially in razor-close affairs that might be decided by a single round.
Opponents have argued that open scoring could lead to some fighters cruising through the late stages of a bout to protect a victory if theyāve already built an insurmountable lead on the scorecards.
Thus far, Invicta FC is the only major promotion in the United States to consistently employ open scoring, which first has to be approved by the state athletic commissions where events take place.
Oktagon MMA will take a shot with open scoring starting with this upcoming event, which is headlined by a pair of UFC veterans as Bojan VeliÄkoviÄ takes on Andreas Michailidis in the finals of the ongoing welterweight tournament, with the winner earning a ā¬300,000 payday (equal to just over $333,000 in U.S. dollars).
The event airs on Oktagon MMAās website as well as international through DAZN.
