Poll results: Would you support the use of yellow cards in North American MMA?
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 10, 2010 at 7:50 pm ET
"Ak-shun! Ak-shun!"
Fans of Japanese MMA fans know exactly what's coming after hearing these shouted commands: a yellow card. And just like soccer, the yellow card comes out as a warning that your behavior simply isn't going to be accepted.
But unlike the sport currently featured in the World Cup, when a yellow card comes out in MMA – a result of stalling by one of the competitors – a 10 percent purse penalty comes along with it. So in our latest MMAjunkie.com/"Inside MMA" poll, we asked if fans would like to see the same system implemented in North America, and the results were revealed on Friday's new edition of HDNet's weekly MMA-news show.
Tens of thousands of votes were cast, and most fans reached an overwhelming conclusion.
An astounding 70 percent of voters said they are in firm support of the yellow-card system being implemented in North America.
Just 23 percent voted against the system, while the remaining seven percent remain undecided.
The concept behind the yellow card is sound. Referees issue the warnings when a fighter is simply stalling the action rather than trying to advance position. Whether it's a time-wasting tactic as a fighter looks to cruise to victory or an effort to get a little rest during the bout, referees keep an eye out for competitors not living up to the expectations of the crowd.
Referees offer a verbal warning first – generally several of them – and then the yellow card is shown. A second yellow card during the contest results in an additional 10 percent penalty, and a third can actually result in disqualification.
While disqualification is a rarity, yellow cards are issued somewhat frequently on the Japanese MMA scene. But in a sport where fighter pay is discussed at length – with the general consensus being that it's not high enough – is taking money out of the pocket of the competitors the right answer?
And who is really most affected? At UFC 116, would Brock Lesnar have been upset at having $40,000 taken from his guaranteed $400,000 payday had he shown a lack of action? Or would it have been Goran Reljic had $500 been taken from his $5,000 purse in what was just his second fight in two years?
Do the voters have it right? Does North American MMA need the yellow card system? Or is there a better way?
State your case in the comments section below.
Additionally, don't forget to vote in this week's new poll on the MMAjunkie.com homepage. We want to know which Bellator champ is most likely to be defeated in his season-three title fight?
