It’s fair to say that MMA referees take their fair share of stick from both fans and media. As viewers, we have a tendency to underestimate just how difficult a referee’s job is, and determining when to stop a fight may be its most challenging feature.
Referees are charged with giving the athlete every opportunity to recover from bad positions, but they are also tasked with ensuring the fighter’s safety. The ability to strike the correct balance between these contradictory aims is often what separates the Herb Deans from the Steve Mazzagattis of the refereeing world.
Step in a fraction of a second too late, and you’re guilty of allowing the fighter to take too much punishment. Step in a little too early, and you’ve potentially cost the fighter thousands of dollars, months of training they can never get back and set their career back a few months at the very least.
With that in mind, let’s take a moment to give these much-maligned officials the benefit of the doubt. Read on for a rundown of five controversial but justifiable stoppages.