As the calendar pages continue to flip, we find ourselves in the middle of November. At this part of the year, fans and pundits alike have got their personal favorites in mind for year-end superlatives.
There are plenty of awards that honor the best in mixed martial arts; however, we will instead be looking at a distinction that no licensed official wants to their credit.
It is the duty of any MMA official to ensure the safety of fighters. That means stepping in at the right time to prevent them from taking unnecessary punishment.
Their job also includes the recognition of situations that are not as dangerous. Knowing when a fighter is intelligently defending himself is of the utmost importance. The last thing you’d want to do is prematurely declare that a fighter has been finished.
Another important task of officials is making sure that fighters adhere to the rules. No shots to the groin, eyes, back of the head or spine are allowed. These regulations are there to promote fighter safety, and the in-cage official needs to pay careful attention to the action in order to determine if someone has landed an illegal shot.
Unfortunately, these duties are not always satisfied to the highest level of accuracy. Referees are humans too, and they will make mistakes from time to time. However, it is important that they are aware of their errors and that corrections be made in the future.
Here is a look at the worst referee calls of 2012.