UFC 305: Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

If there was ever a fighter to completely dismiss the idea of MMA Math, it would be Dricus Du Plessis. Despite appearing to be on the edge of defeat, somehow he just keeps snatching up victories. 

It’s one thing to pull that off on the regional level or even at the lower tier of the UFC. That’s when power, aggression, and pure determination can more reliably result in a win. But against the absolute best in the world with a world title in the balance, “StillKnocks” finds a way lean on this seemingly primitive base.

Even while appearing quickly fatigued, absorbing body shots, and getting cleanly countered by one of the best pure strikers in MMA history, he’s able to do exactly what’s necessary in the moment. It’s a duality that can drive the Jack Slacks and Caposas of the world to madness trying to decipher.

Du Plessis has pulled off the impossible against both Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, two men generally considered the best 185ers of this generation. With the most barebones and chaotic approach to the science those men have mastered, the current middleweight champion has barged his way into that conversation.

Howie Do That?

Even at the highest levels of mixed martial arts, there seems to be a consistent level of incompetence on a regulatory level. Event after event, week after week, it’s extremely easy to point the finger at the officiating for tainting the in-cage action. Fouls going unpunished, uneven enforcement of rules, etc., it’s a never-ending source of frustration and an easy target for criticism. 

But sometimes, the missteps are so preposterous that even the most complacent of institutions has to act. That scenario happened at UFC 305. While we did get the typical fair share of unaddressed fence grabs and everlasting supply of referee warnings, the fight between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Tai Tuivasa provided one of the more unforgivable displays of poor officiating. 

After 15 minutes of largely dominating Tai Tuivasa, when the final bell sounded the decision was a mere formality. However, the 30-27 scorecard in favor of Tuivasa turned in by Howie Booth begged to differ. 

It’s hard to understate just how terrible that score is. Of the 15 media members who submitted their assessments to MMADecisions, every one of them saw it 30-27 for Rozenstruik. Whether it be the most blatant home cooking for the Australian, an inability to differentiate between the blue and red tape on the fighters’ gloves, or the worst arithmetic known to man, Booth needed to be removed from duty. 

Fortunately, the other two judges knew what they were watching and the powers that be prevented any further misadventures from Booth at UFC 305. Hopefully, he will have to prove his worth before overseeing any more events in any meaningful capacity.