Very well put by subwhitebelt--didn't see his post when I originally typed mine.
Rich--I think the refs sort of do this on their own accord--at least the better refs. For example, a classic "button" knockout like with Lawlor, they are quick to jump in. You have to leave it to the discretion of the judges though--not a blanket rule. Could you imagine a 3 count being instituted in the Liddell/Ortiz fight? Liddell could have him literally 10-12 more times.
I think that subwhitebelt and Macedawgg have convinced me for now - the point of:
"all it is is a formal imperative to hesitate to stop the action by giving the downed fighter the benefit of a doubt, measured against the imperative to protect both fighters, which is what referee's do already."
Is very poignant... Then as mace pointed out... it take compentant, trained officials to follow this concept and let the right fights go a little longer, and stop the right ones...
OK... next issue
As for the Shooto count... Check out Trigg/Sakurai for agood example of it... it worked well in Shooto Vegas (Rick Davis/Nick Ertle)
But that is Shooto, and I have no issues with the rest of the MMA world not using it
How far away from NHB do we go? We already lost it through evolution of a sport marketed negatively. A lot things have been removed to the point we created a sport of MMA.
If a fighter is knocked for a loop, to the ground, *MOST* of the time it is over. Either by the ref stepping in, or the fighter continuing to deal out punishment without the downed fighter defending. On rare occasions the ref steps in too early. That is just the nature of human error.
No matter how it is marketed the basis for this sport is to simulate a real fighting circumstance. A controlled and "safe" environment. The sport is safer than it is given credit for. I would rather put up with a few early stoppages than a standing 8 count. A knockdown is almost always surely a finish or a prelude to a finish.
A standing count after a knockdown, would be the last straw for me. It becomes so far from what was/is intended that it would be pointless. "Oh wait a second, that is not fair. You hit him too hard. Let me stand him up and give him time to recooperate. You can not hit him while he is in such a state."
May as well do Shotokan(sp?). One round boxing, one round grappling, one round bareknuckle standup.
Might as well go watch boxing , or jui jitsiu tournament,
the old saying is if it ain't broke don't fix it
Leave it to the refs decision