Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – Early Stoppages

UFC 101 was yet another UFC pay-per-view event which bore witness to an early stoppage. The bout between Amir Sadollah and Johny Hendricks was stopped by referee Dan Miragliotta 29 seconds into the first round due to strikes declaring Johny Hendricks the winner by TKO. This came after Hendricks connected with several punches which sent Amir falling to the mat. However, Amir appeared to have been dazed by the blows and been recovering. At no point could I clearly see that Amir had been unconscious. In fact, it looked as if he was attempting to get back to his feet when the fight was stopped.

A few rules / points, explained.

Before reaching a judgment, a few fine points must be considered:

• What is a UFC referee’s job?

Limited for the sake of this article, “A referee’s job is to prevent any undue injury to come to the fighters.” This quote coming from Herb Dean, a mixed martial arts fighter and UFC referee. The rule states that a fighter must “intelligently defend” himself at all times. Failing to do this is cause for the UFC referee to stop the fight.

• What does “intelligently defend” mean anyway?

To me, the term “intelligently defend” is quite vague. However, I believe it is vague on purpose. At it’s base, it means that a fighter must be consciously aware of the other fighter and able to defend himself based on that awareness. For example, a fighter that is sprawled out on the mat after taking an over-hand right that makes little to no attempt to cover his face from ensuing blows, for any reason, would not be considered to be intelligently defending himself.

• Why is that a rule?

To most of my readers (hopefully), this should go without saying. Just in case, I will explain. In the heat of a fight, emotions and tempers can run high. Classically, either a fighter or a fighter’s corner can “throw in the towel” (tap, verbally tap) to end a match for any reason. While opinions on whether a fight should be stopped can differ greatly from one person to the next, having one individual that does not hold stake in the success of either fighter (referee) with the ability to stop a fight is important. My mother would likely stop a fight prematurely, whereas a few guys from the bar may let it go far too long.

• The referee’s Perspective.

You know what this is. It’s what makes thousands of magician’s tricks work each day. While the referee is one person, with two eyes, set securely in his head, the viewer at home has multiple camera angles and slow-motion replays with which to form an opinion.

Having a baseline of assumed knowledge now, I can proceed into my points regarding this particular early stoppage.

The Sadollah vs. Hendricks Early Stoppage

The Sadollah vs. Hendricks early stoppage in UFC 101 was an unfortunate event. Although I do agree with others in thinking that the fight was stopped early, I do not blame Dan Miragliotta for any wrongdoing. Keeping in mind his responsibilities as a UFC referee, taking a closer look at the event itself could help to explain exactly what happened.

1. Dan Miragliotta watched Amir Sadollah fall to the mat from strikes.
2. With Johny Hendricks obstructing a clear view of the fight, Dan Miragliotta watched Johny Hendricks rain down punches on Amir Sadollah.
3. Dan Miragliotta could see only a small portion of Amir Sadollah (his legs and hands on the mat) and, between the time that he fell to the mat and the fight was stopped, noticed that he was not making progress toward standing up.

Now, examining the event with the help of other camera angles.

1. Amir Sadollah did fall to the mat from strikes.

There is no disputing this, in my opinion. He didn’t appear to trip. He was dazed and fell.

2. While on the ground, Sadollah took several illegal shots to the back of the head (potentially inhibiting his ability to stand up by throwing off his balance).

You can see from a few of the other camera angles, Johny Hendricks was hitting Amir Sadollah in the back of head. These shots are against the rules in the UFC and are cause for losing points in a round. That being said, however, the referee can only act upon strikes to the back of the head that he sees or is otherwise aware of. I do not fault Johny Hendricks from throwing these shots to the back of the head. They did not appear intentional and in the majority of other fights, fighters will throw these illegal blows until they are told not to by the referee.

3. In one camera angle, (from behind Dan Miragliotta) Amir Sadollah’s head can be seen falling toward the mat after a blow to the back of the head.

This appears to be the last thing Dan Miragliotta saw before making his final decision to end the fight. Watching this replay several times makes me feel confident in saying that he was doing the right thing. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised of other UFC referees would have done the same.

When it’s all said and done we are left with an unfortunate end to what could have been an otherwise excellent bout. The early stoppage by Dan Miragliotta, based on what he was able to see during the fight, was a result of a referee trying to protect a fighter from undue injury. Although he could have let the fight go a few more seconds, had Amir Sadollah actually been knocked out as Dan Miragliotta had thought he could be questioned for letting the fight go on too long. In this instance, he erred on the side of safety for the fighter. This, in fact, is his job.

Will the problem of early stoppages continue to plague the UFC?

Short answer: yes.
Long answer: There is no way to 100% eliminate the problem of an early stoppage while preserving the safety of the fighters and the current intensity involved in a UFC fight. In boxing, a 10 second count is initiated when a boxer falls to the canvas. If the boxer does not rise from the canvas within the 10 seconds, the fight is over. Obviously, this rule could not be implemented in the UFC as most UFC fights end up (at some point) on the mat. A modified version of this rule, where fighters are separated and a 10 second count is initiated when a fighter appears to have lost consciousness or may otherwise be too injured to continue, may be envisioned. However, if a fighter were not knocked out, this may give an opportunity for a breather and allow them to regain their composure and then turn the tide of a fight. Not to mention, the halt to the action at this point in a fight would be very difficult for current fans to get used to.

The solution: Leave things as they are. The rule works and only causes problems on rare occasions. The better fans understand the game, the rules and the possible problems that can arise, the fewer instances of misunderstanding that will take place.

Also, to a certain degree, this level of controversy is good for the UFC, the fighters and Dan Miragliotta. By this taking place, it will spur conversation over the event (this article is evidence of that) which will help feed the popularity of the UFC, the fighters will undoubtedly face each other again in a re-match as the majority of the UFC fans would like and Dan Miragliotta receives publicity and also grows in popularity. Furthermore, the UFC will gain another pay-per-view fight when the rematch occurs making it easier on them as they do not have to find another fight to fill the slot and the UFC fighters (Amir Sadollah and Johny Hendricks) will each earn more money when they fight again. This will end up being a win-win-win for all parties involved with the only negative being the additional 1 in the loss column for Amir Sadollah.

Comments? That is why there is a comment section.

UFC 100 Pay-Per-View
This one is looking pretty good. Several of the fights I’m excited about and cannot wait to see. In particular, Henderson vs. Bisping should be a fun one. Also, Georges “Rush” St-Pierre vs. Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves looks promising. All I can do is hope.

UFC 100 Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
One of the fights I’m looking forward to in UFC 100 is the Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping bout. I watch the Ultimate Fighter series which pitted Dan Henderson against Michael Bisping as coaches. One of the most memorable moments was when Dan confronted Michael about switching the times that they use the training facility. As I recall, Dan and team USA were going to the gym to train earlier in the morning, and Michael and the UK were going in around 11, or noon. After Dan made his request / demand, Michael Bisping retorted with, “You can’t do that Dan.” While seemingly mundane in its nature, those 5 little words have stuck in my head for awhile now. The primary reason being his accent. The cocky, snide sounding Bisping, and the cool, confident Dan Henderson.

Michael Bisping has been a favorite fighter of mine for awhile. There are a few fighters in the UFC that talk a lot of crap.. and normally that sort of things bugs me, A LOT. However, I’m also able to tell (I think) when it’s because the person is just an ass, or when they are trying to gain an advantage. Bisping is going for the advantage.

That being said, the cool, calm, collected nature of Dan Henderson is truly refreshing. He doesn’t talk smack, and he’s a good fighter. Almost as if he doesn’t feel like he needs that ‘edge’ in order to perform–or outperform his rival.

“You can’t do that Dan.”

UFC 100 Georges “Rush” St-Pierre vs. Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves
Are you kidding me? Any opportunity to watch Georges St-Pierre fight is a treat. This guy is wicked. His ethics, his style.. I consider him the ‘Tyson’ of MMA. Now, throw Thiago Alves in the the ring with him…. chills! This could be an amazingly awesome super-fight of doom!

As I was examining this match-up, a few points came up. Obviously Thiago Alves is the larger, stronger fighter. Problem: 6″ reach difference in favor of Georges St-Pierre. I don’t know if this will play into the fight much, I’m just saying. Also, as Joe Rogan points out now and again, the weight cut can take a lot out of a guy. With this influence Thiago Alves negatively?

Rush vs. The Pitbull

UFC 100 – Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesner
Here we go again. Brock Lesner revisits Frank Mir, the man who beat him by submission. Both men hold.. the same belt? Sort of. This will be one of the ‘extra’ fights in my opinion. Fun to watch, but probably wont be very entertaining.

So there you have it, my pre-take on UFC 100.

The topic of UFC 97: Redemption brings to mind only one word: Disappointing.

With a fight card including Silva vs. Leites and Liddell va. Rua, most would think the night would have a good chance of being eventful. That would make the majority of us incorrect. I was disappointed from beginning to end. From the lack-luster bouts, to the apparently updated UFC graphics, something was missing. The typical hype was there with the big name fighters, but neither of these fights were worth while. The devastating knockout power of both Liddell and Silva were not on display. Coupling this with the lack of technical bouts left the fans that were seeking strategy as well as the fans seeking one-shot knockouts unfulfilled.

The High Points
Joe Rogan (http://blog.joerogan.net/) is always entertaining. Along with his commentary, his technical expertise (in my opinion) can be attributed to teaching the less experienced fans the intricacies of the sport. This has no doubt contributed to the ever-growing following that the UFC has come to love. After all, good fans are knowledgeable fans. Beyond Joe however there was one fight (televised) that stood out above the rest: Cantwell vs. Cane. Watching the Steve “Robot” Cantwell get better and better as the bout went on, kept me paying attention. He’s a young guy, and watching his confidence grow in the octagon was not only good to see, I could relate to it.

The Low Points
You name it. While every UFC event runs the risk of having flat, boring fights, this one took the cake. Maybe we’ve become spoiled. Watching knockout after knockout, and submission after submission, we rarely see a fight go the distance. And although the majority of bouts may end with the most favored fighter winning, effort and desire can make a bad fight good. The struggle of the underdog, the thrill of the unexpected. These things were absent, and it sucked.

What does this mean for the UFC?
In the end, nothing. The UFC has a great following. Even the poor showing of UFC 97: Redemption can be over come by the hype of the next event. One thing you may see is fans searching elsewhere for their fighting fix. By experiencing the lesser well known WEC, fans have a better chance of seeing a good fight. Increase the number of fights, the odds that a few are going to be good also increase.

A surprising facet of UFC 97: Redemption, was the lack of up-sell for the next or future UFC events. I would have been extremely pleased (peed my pants) if GSP (Georges “Rush” St-Pierre) had been interviewed after Silva’s bout. Better yet, if GSP had entered the octagon and spoke with Silva about the fight and his performance. If these two ever meet, St-Pierre vs. Silva, glory would ensue. Records would be broken and set. In my opinion, the income from the pay-per-view alone would make this bout a must. The UFC can’t ignore the amount of money theorized, and I’m sure the wheels are already turning.