The Kansas Athletic Commission have heard the complaints about the scoring system in mixed martial arts, and they’re going to try something different.

Also known as open scoring, beginning in March, the KSAC will offer promoters a chance to use Real-Time scoring for events in the state. Per a press release, this would mean that all three of the judges’ scorecards would be recorded and made available to the “promotion, cage/ring announcer, broadcast commentators, and broadcast producer.”

Invicta FC’s March 6 event will be the first time we’ll see the change in action.

“Fighters deserve to know the score during their fights,” said Kansas Athletic Commission Executive Director Adam Roorbach. “I truly believe that this will provide them with a much clearer idea of what they need to do to win, and it will also create an enhanced and interactive experience for the fans watching in attendance, as well as the fans watching the broadcast and following on-line updates.”

Judging in mixed martial arts, although much maligned in general, has once again come to the forefront after the controversial title fight between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes last Saturday at UFC 248.

While Roorbach says the move isn’t a reaction to a specific fight, it will give frustrated MMA fans an opportunity to see if there’s a better way of dealing with the issue of poor judging.

“To be clear, the implementation of Real-Time Scoring in MMA is not a reaction to any particular fight or event,” Roorbach said. “Rather, it’s an idea that I’ve long been harbouring, and have slowly been working out the details to the point that I now feel confident to launch. This started with me asking the question ‘Why not?’, and no one has been able to provide me with a compelling reason against it. The response that I’ve gotten from our promoters, fighters, and the Kansas fight community has been universally positive.”