UFC heavyweight Tanner Boser has raised concerns about the qualifications of mixed martial arts judges, questioning whether those without fighting backgrounds are equipped to score bouts fairly.
Ahead of his October 17 matchup against Jhonata Diniz at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Boser addressed the issue during UFC Edmonton media day. While acknowledging that judges “get way more right than they do wrong,” he emphasized that mistakes in judging can have outsized impacts on fighters’ careers and livelihoods.
Boser questioned the backgrounds of judges involved in MMA scoring. According to the source, he asked: “Who are the judges? Were they fighters? Because if they are not, you don’t really know your logic. Were they boxers? Because that’s kind of different too.” He drew a comparison to other sports, saying he would lack credibility judging figure skating and suggested some MMA judges operate from similarly limited knowledge.
Boser cited instances where he believes the judging system failed, noting that there are occasional scoring decisions “where my mom watching at home knows who won that fight.” He expressed frustration with judges whose professional responsibility is to score fights correctly but fail to do so in ways that are obvious to experienced observers and casual viewers alike.
Boser’s concerns stem partly from his own recent fight history. He lost consecutive decisions to Andrei Arlovski in 2020 and Ilir Latifi in 2021. Boser accepted responsibility for the Arlovski defeat but believes he deserved the decision against Latifi. Most recently, he suffered a stoppage loss to Gokhan Saricam, which ended a two-fight winning streak.
His comments highlight ongoing debate within the MMA community about judging standards and whether judges’ qualifications adequately reflect the sport’s technical complexity. Boser’s characterization of the judging system as “imperfect” reflects broader concerns about how scoring decisions impact fighter careers and compensation.
Key facts
- Tanner Boser questioned UFC judges’ qualifications ahead of his Oct. 17 bout against Jhonata Diniz in Edmonton
- Boser acknowledged judges typically score fights correctly but argued that errors carry significant consequences for fighters’ careers
- Boser lost consecutive decisions to Andrei Arlovski (2020) and Ilir Latifi (2021), believing he deserved the Latifi decision
- Boser is coming off a stoppage loss to Gokhan Saricam that ended a two-fight winning streak