Light-heavyweight contender Anthony Smith has slammed the corner of UFC newcomer Max Rohskopf who lost against Austin Hubbard this past weekend.
Rohskopf returned to the corner after round two of the fight and repeatedly told his team to throw in the towel. Robert Drysdale who was head coach ignored his fighter’s pleas to end the fight and instead tried to convince him to carry on competing. The fight was eventually waved off when Rohskopf told the referee he didn’t want to carry on at the start of round three.
Drysdale has since come out to defend his actions and said he would 100 percent do the same thing again. Smith though thinks Drysdale was out of line and should have listened to his fighter.
“I’m frustrated for sure. It’s was frustrating to watch and I think the reaction from the fans and the other fighters is more frustrating, especially given the situation I was in not that long ago,” Smith said to TMZ Sports. “I get it, if there is a kid that’s young and facing adversity for possibly, maybe the first real-time in his career and maybe he thinks he doesn’t have it or maybe needs some encouragement. I believe he asked out nine times. This isn’t God damn bloodsport and not all of us think the same.
“Not everybody is me. It’s just different, he is a young kid and he wanted out,” Smith added. “Get him the f**k out of there. He wanted to go home. He said he didn’t have it, he didn’t want to have to do this anymore. That is what he said, I don’t want to do this anymore.
“That’s different than being down on yourself and needing a pick me up. That’s way deeper than that and then to see the fans and the other fighters stick by Drysdale? Listen, I respect Drysdale as much as anybody in the game,” he continued. “That guy is a pioneer in the jiu-jitsu world and I’m a huge fan of his. But, he messed up, he messed up. That needs to be said, this is not the same situation as mine. I did everything I could to stay in there. He was doing everything he could possibly do to get out. Get him out.” (Transcribed by BJPENN.com)
Do you think Anthony Smith is right? Should Robert Drysdale have listened to Max Rohskopf’s repeated calls to end the fight?