Lay And Pray – Go Away!

When I turn on mma, I want to watch two guys (or two women) fight. I don’t tune in to see them lay on each other. There are plenty of sites on the internet where I can see that sort of thing….

As a fan, I want to be entertained. The UFC gives out a monetary award to fighters who have an entertaining fight. No fighter has ever won the Fight of the Night honours by laying on another fighter for fifteen minutes. It’s boring.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand it is strategy. For the fighter who already has a large purse coming, there is nothing wrong with winning by dominating from a top position. It’s actually a fantastic strategy from a fighter’s point of view, since it is unlikely he will be hurt in that position. It is not unlike Anderson Silva’s strategy when he fought Demian Maia, which is to do the least amount of work possible to still win the fight.

But it makes a boring fight, and fans watch and attend these events to be entertained, not to get a lesson in technical wrestling.

It’s the referee’s obligation to ensure the fight continues in a forward manner and not allow the fighters to coast. He also must take into account that sometimes fighters on the ground are actually fighting for position, and he must allow them an opportunity to achieve it. The more educated a referee is in mixed martial arts, the better equipped he will be to determine whether a fighter is attempting a hold or just trying to catch his breath.

When Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson faced each other in the octagon at UFC 114, Evans played to his wrestling strengths, forcing Rampage against the cage and holding him there for much of the fight. This is not fighting! It’s leaning. Nobody tuned in to watch two men lean on the cage. Yet the referee – the seasoned Herb Dean – allowed Evans to continue this strategy, because it is well within the rules.

Another of the referee’s duties is to ensure the fighters do not suffer unnecessary or lasting injury. In the third round, Rampage rocked Evans with a heavy punch to the head. It was very clear that Evans was knocked out, if only for a second or two. By the time the referee had gained position to check on Evans’ condition, he was once again conscious and defending himself. he worked himself into a position where he could hold Rampage but not inflict any damage himself. He was able to hold this position until the cobwebs cleared.

Doesn’t this put the fighter in greater danger? When a fighter is knocked out, he is forbidden from fighting again for at least one month. But, in this case, the fighter was allowed to continue fighting. had the referee stepped in and stood them up immediately, instead of allowing Evans to recover, we all would have seen him unable to continue, as he would have been unlikely to stay on his feet unaided.

If referees would intervene quicker to stand up fighters not doing anything on the ground, I believe we would see more entertaining fights and it would put pressure on fighters to expand their skills from just wrestling.