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For how long has Mike Bell been a UFC judge? A look at the officiating career behind the infamous 10

Mike Bell, whose real name is Michael Bell, is the name all UFC fans are thinking of right now, following his controversial decision at UFC Noche.

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko went toe to toe in the main event of the evening and the fight was very close. Each round was really well fought and both fighters gave it their all. However, one judge's scorecard had a score that UFC fans, fighters, and even the president Dana White did not agree with. Mike Bell scored the 5th round 10-8 in favor of Grasso.

Bell is a UFC judge and according to MMA decisions, he has been judging fights for the company since 2013. He is also a judge for Bellator and has been a judge for Invicta FC as well.

Usually, a 10-8 score is given in favor of a fighter if they have managed to absolutely dominate the Octagon for that round. In this case, the two other judges scored the 5th round a 10-9. It was only Mike Bell who scored the fight a 10-8 and this is not the first time he has made a questionable decision in the eyes of the fans. He has a track record of having some controversial scores in fights.

Ariel Helwani pleads Mike Bell for a statement to help fans understand the basis of his decision

Ariel Helwani is one of the foremost MMA journalists and is well respected by fans. Following the controversial decision at UFC Noche, he was also one of the people who did not agree with Mike Bell's 10-8 score and sought answers. He explained in an episode of his show The MMA Hour, that he tried to get a response from Bell but did not get anything:

"We just want an explanation, we just want to understand the thought process. We don't get that so we have to start hypothesising. It's silly, it's stupid, it's backwards. So I reached out to him, never really got a response, said that they were weighing their options. Fair, okay....We would just love to get an explanation, try to get an opportunity to get a statement."

Take a look at the clip from the show:

Helwani also went on to say that the system is created to protect the judges and they don't need to 'face the music.' He has also previously stated that judges should be held accountable and should give explanations for their scores.

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Update: 2024-05-19