FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST [an error occurred while processing this directive] THE JUDGE'S CORNER: Scoring the "King of the Cage: Bad Boys II" event

Apr 29, 2010 - 8:55:06 AM

By: Jason Schielke, MMATorch Contributor

As I continue on my long journey to become a multi-state sanctioned MMA judge, I will be judging all the upcoming MMA events, along with little K-1 since I will be judging kickboxing matches while working the amateur circuit, that my satellite provider decides to provide to me.

Along with my scoring of the rounds, I will also be providing what I saw that lead me as to how I scored each round. And as always, I am open to constructive criticism. Nobody can be a perfect judge. However, there is no better way to learn than to get feedback on things I might have not caught or have a different perspective on.

Fight 1: KOTC Middleweight Championship Brad Burrick vs. Brandon Hunt (C)

Round One

Both fighters come out throwing lazy jabs and kicks. Hunt lands a good body shot and leg kick. Burrick goes for a single and misses. Burrick goes for a takedown after a Hunt leg kick. Burrick lands a couple of knees to Hunt and they’re back to their feet. Burrick goes down after a leg kick from Hunt. Hunt lands a couple of nice head shots. Burrick goes for 2 takedowns and Hunt stuffs them both. Another takedown attempt from Burrick off of a Hunt kick. Hunt lands some knees to the body and legs from the clinch against the cage. Hunt is landing more punches and knees to Burrick’s body. They break away and they’re back to the center. Hunt bairly misses with a head kick and Burrick shoots again and gets the takedown. Hunt sweeps Burrick and lands in the mount. Big elbows and punches from Hunt as the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Hunt. Hunt landed his strikes at will and avoided every takedown attempt except for the last one attempted by Burrick, which lead to Hunt getting the mount and landing some very heavy ground and pound. Even though Burrick didn’t land any strikes of significance, Hunt never had Burrick in immediate danger of being stopped. If he had, I would have scored it a 10-8 round.

Round Two

Nice inside leg kick from hunt starts off the round. Burrick is throwing some leather and lands one to Hunt’s dome. Burrick lands a nice body shot. Sweeping right hand lands from Burrick that puts Hunt on his back. Burrick follows up with one more and Hunt is out.

RESULT: Burrick becomes the new KOTC Middleweight Championship via Knockout at :59 of Round two

Fight 2 - Steve Berger vs. Waylon Lowe (165 lb. catch weight fight)

Round One

Lowe lands a sweeping left and gets the takedown, but Berger is back up quickly. Solid left lands from Lowe that puts Berger down. Lowe tries some ground and pound but Berger gets back to his feet. Another left lands for Lowe, followed up by a five punch combo and Berger is out.

RESULT: Lowes wins via Knockout at 2:18 of Round one

Fight 3 - Ben Lagman vs. Angelo Popofski

Round One

Popofski runs into a left from Lagman and is put down but is up quickly. Popofski goes for a takedown but Lagman defends and lands some punches. They clinch and Lagman lands a leaping knee to the body. Popofski goes for a sloppy takedown which is easily avoided. Lagman lands a nice flying knee. A right puts Popofski down and Lagman lets him back up. Big right by Lagman to the body. Popofski goes for a single, Lagman lands at least a half a dozen hammerfist and the fight is stopped by the referee.

RESULT: Lagman wins via Knockout at 2:58 of Round one

Fight 4 - Daron Cruickshank vs. Jason Holmes

Round One

Daron leads with a front kick to the body of Holmes. Left high kick from Daron lands and Holmes grazes with a right. Daron lands a good leg kick and then lands some jumping spinning kick that actually landed. Another leg kick from Daron Uppercut left hich kick combo lands for Daron. Spinning back kick followed by a jumping knee lands for Daron. Homes tries to flurry but misses everything. Nice outside leg kick from Daron. Homes lands a right and is answered by a spinning back kick from Daron. Homes goes for a single and Daron spins out.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Cruickshank. They probably came close to landing the same amount of punches, but it was very clear that Cruickshank’s strikes had more behind them and were more damaging. (On a side note, they are both throwing more spinning techniques than Fox News. I’m getting dizzy just watching them.)

Round Two

Holmes lands a nice jab. Leg kick lands for Holmes. Body kick from Daron lands. Spinning back kick from Daron lands to the body of Holmes. Good left lands from Daron. Holmes lands a weak leg kick left hand combo. Both are missing most of their strikes. Daron lands another nice left body kick. Both throw a few techniques but all miss. Holmes clinches and Daron gets the takedown and is in Holmes guard. Daron is dropping a few good elbows here and there. A nice elbow from Daron lands as the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Cruickshank. Neither fighter did too much on their feet, but the takedown by Daron and subsequent ground and pound wins him the round.

Round Three

They exchange jabs to start the round. Daron glances Holmes with a one two and Hlmes returns the favor. 1-2-roundkick lands for Daron. Holmes answers with a leg kick. Both are beginning to throw and miss plenty. Snapping jab lands for Holmes. Homes lands another outside leg kick. Nice left from Holmes is followed up b a takedown from Daron. Daron lands in Holmes half guard. They are stood up and Holmes lands a decent right. Daron goes for a takedown and gets Holmes’ back. Nice left hands and elbows are landing for Daron. Daron goes for what looks like a kimura/armbar but can’t get it as the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Cruickshank. For the better part of the round, I thought Cruickshank was being the flashier of the two on the feet, but Holmes was landing the better strikes. However, the work Cruickshank did on the ground towards the end of the round was more effective than what Holmes did earlier in the round, so I have him the nod, but not by much.

-Schielke’s Final Score: 30-27 Cruickshank-

Judges’ Scores: 29-28 Cruickshank, 29-28 Holmes, 30-27 Cruickshank. Cruickshank wins by split decision.

Schielke’s Take: I really can’t see how one of the judges saw this fight in favor of Holmes. I could see round three going either way, but I thought it was pretty clear that Cruickshank did the better work in the first two rounds. At least the right fighter got the decision, in my opinion anyway.

Fight 5 - KOTC Lightweight Championship Fight - Dom O’Grady vs. David Shepherd (c)

Round One

Shepherd goes out and lands a nice leg kick. O’Grady catches a leg kick and lands two good right hands. Shepherd works the leg kicks but O’Grady lands some nice leather to Shepherd’s face. Shepherd gets a takedown but O’Grady gets up quickly and O’Grady throws Shepherd down to the ground with a nice hip toss. O’Grady is landing some soft ground and pound and the cage is preventing Shepherd from working any submissions. Shepherd gets feet on hips and goes for a triangle but O’Grady gets out. Shepherd does for it again and transitions into an armbar. O’Grady steps over to avoid the dub and lands in side control. Nice elbows are being landed by O’Grady. They end up in the north-south and the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 O’Grady. Even though Shepherd worked his submissions and landed some good strikes, O’Grady landed just a little better on the feet and worked some very nice ground and pound after he got the takedown later in the round.

Round Two

O’Grady lands a solid 1-2 and another that put Shepherd on his back. O’Grady is working the hammerfist hard, but Shepherd grabs an arm and rolls into O’Grady’s half guard. O’Grady works his way back to full guard. Shepherd lands a big right from the top. O’Grady goes for a triangle and it’s in fairly tight. O’Grady tries to transition to an armbar but Shepherd rolls into half guard. Shepherd lands a few punches and elbows, but nothing too damaging. O’Grady goes for another triangle. Shepherd slips his head out and O’Grady transitions to an armbar, sinks it in and Shepherd taps.

RESULT: O’Grady* becomes the new KOTC Lightweight Champion via tapout at 4:18 of Round 2

*Dom “I Hate You So Much” O’Grady ranks right up there with Darnell “The Ding-A-Ling Man” Wilson as one of the best nickname in combat sports.

Fight 6 - Chad Herrick vs. Joe Doerksen

Round One

Herrick lands a nice jab and then another. Herrick lands a body shot which puts Doerksen down and he lets him back up. Herrick lands a nice one two and follows with a jab. Doerksen lands a pair of leg kicks. Herrick lands a little right. Doerksen comes back with a leg kick… and another. Herrick pumps out three jabs and follows with a few rights, but only one lands. Another nice jab from Herrick. Solid Leg kick lands from Herrick. Doerksen glances with an uppercut and lands with a jab and a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Doerksen lands a nice right that drives Herrick to the cage. Herrick grabs Doerksen’s neck and does to the ground. Doerksen stays in side mount without doing any damage and the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Herrick. Herrick landed the better strikes for the 4:30 or so they were standing. Even if Doerksen got the takedown, he didn’t do anything with it, so Herrick’s effective striking wins him the round.

Round 2

Herrick throws three jabs and Doerksen lands a nice inside leg kick. Doerksen eats a right and shoots for a double. He transitions to a double and gets it. Doerksen takes the back of Herrick but he is just thrown off. Herrick lands a jab and Doerksen gets the takedown. Doerksen tries to go from side to full mount and ends up in Herrick’s guard. Doerksen is working some light ground and pound. Doerksen gets Herrick’s back and Herrick tries to stand up. Doerksen gets it back to the ground, Herrick tries to stand, Doerksen goes for an armbar and Herrick slides out. Two big rights from Herrick puts Doerksen down, but doesn’t follow him down and the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Doerksen. Doerksen’s ground work and submission attempts give him the edge on my card this round. Herrick may have put Doerksen down at the end of the round with the two rights, but I’m not sure if it were the power of the shots or Doerksen’s balance that put him down.

Round Three

Doerksen goes for a double right out of the gates and gets it. Herrick is able to get back to the feet. Doerksen dives for a single but isn’t anywhere close. A big, wild right left from Doerksen puts Herrick down. Herrick eats a few on the way up, and Doerksen gets the takedown and gets Herrick’s back. Herrick tries to stand, but Doerksen throws him and ends up in side mount. Herrick gets back to his feet. Herrick lands an outside leg kick. Doerksen shoots for a double and gets it and gets the mount. Herrick gives up his back. A few light punches are landing for Doerksen. Herrick throws a few back elbows and the round ends.

Schielke’s Score: 10-9 Doerksen. This round was the easiest of the three by far to judge. Doerksen put Herrick on his butt with a big 1-2 and controlled the rest of the round on the ground.

-Schielke’s Final Score: 29-28 Doerksen-

-Judge’s Scores: 29-28 Doerksen, 29-28 Herrick, 29-28 Doerksen. Doerksen wins by split decision.-

Schielke’s Take:A split decision doesn’t really surprise me that much. Round one could have gone to Doerksen as he did land more punches than Herrick. Round two could have gone to Herrick if the judge thought that Doerksen was hurt by the punches that dropped him at the end of the round. Round three I believe clearly went to Doerksen as he dropped Herrick and dominated the ground game. It was a close fight and I wouldn’t have argued had the decision gone the other way.

Schielke’s Overall Take: I thought the fights themselves were all pretty good. You had some KO’s, a nice submission, and 2 close decisions. However, the endless plugs for the various sponsors and the uber-annoying ring announcer have got to go. Ok, I’ll settle for “Big Papa” getting the boot as long as the fighters are getting paid for all the plugging of Full Tilt Poker.

Next up: Aldo-Faber and Bellator.
Comments? Thoughts? Send them to JasonSchielke@gmail.com. Even though it may take me a few days, I always answer every e-mail…just ask Cliff (I want my Oreos!!!!).

ALERT: Every Tuesday night, listen to the MMATorch Livecast from 9-10:30 p.m. ET or listen now to the most recent shows by clicking here. Listen live this coming Tuesday as Jamie Penick, Rich Hansen, and Matt Pelkey discuss the latest MMA happenings. Online listen at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mmatorch or call into the show at 646-716-8090 to either just listen or participate.