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UFC 142 Morning After: MMA Needs Better Rules and Better Refs

Filed under: UFCIn the first week of the 2010 NFL season, Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson caught what appeared to be a game winning touchdown pass, only to have a referee overturn the call on an obscure, ill-defined rule about what actually const…

Filed under: UFC

In the first week of the 2010 NFL season, Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson caught what appeared to be a game winning touchdown pass, only to have a referee overturn the call on an obscure, ill-defined rule about what actually constitutes a catch — a rule that has come to be known as the Calvin Johnson rule by fans who still have a hard time understanding why Johnson’s apparent catch was not a catch.

Few things bother NFL fans more than the way the NFL’s complex rules — and the referees’ enforcement of those rules — detract from an otherwise thriving sport. The same could be said for MMA, where the UFC and the state athletic commissions have worked together to codify a unified set of rules — only to find time after time that those rules aren’t as clear as they should be, and that referees don’t enforce the rules uniformly.

The latest example came at UFC 142, where referee Mario Yamasaki disqualified Erick Silva for hitting Carlo Prater in the back of the head, even though no one seems to agree about whether a disqualification was the correct response, or even about what constitutes the back of the head.

UFC President Dana White wrote on Twitter immediately afterward that disqualifying Silva was a “BS call,” and he was right: Silva deserved to win. The UFC needs to work with the athletic commissions to more clearly define the rules, and to recruit and train better referees to enforce those rules.

I don’t know what the precise rule on strikes to the back of the head is, and neither do you, and neither does anyone. No one knows because there is no precise definition of “back of the head.” Some referees use the term “mohawk,” meaning the back of the head is an inch-side strip right in the middle of the back of the head, the area that would be covered by a mohawk haircut. Other referees use the term “earmuffs,” meaning the back of the head is a larger area that includes everything that would be behind a pair of earmuffs.

More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News

Under the “mohawk” definition, Silva didn’t hit Prater in the back of the head. Under the “earmuffs” definition, Silva did hit Prater in the back of the head.

UFC announcer Joe Rogan clearly was buying into the “mohawk” definition, and he went off on Yamasaki during an awkward post-fight interview in which Yamasaki clearly wasn’t prepared to defend his decision. Yamasaki didn’t inspire a lot of confidence by his inability to defend his decision, but in fairness to Yamasaki, referees aren’t generally put on the spot the way Rogan put him on the spot, so it’s not surprising that Yamasaki was caught off guard.

Even if you think SIlva did commit a foul by hitting Prater in the “earmuffs” area, Yamasaki didn’t handle it the right way. If Silva committed an illegal strike, Yamasaki should have stepped in and taken a point away from Silva, and only stopped the fight after having the doctor check on Prater and determine whether Prater could continue. Instead, Yamasaki stepped in and waved his arms to stop the fight instantly.

A disqualification for an illegal strike should only take place if the illegal strike is what caused the fight to end. But it appeared that Silva’s legal strikes — a brutal knee to the body and several powerful hammer fists to the side of the head — were enough to finish Prater off. Prater suggested after the fight that it was really the knee that did him in.

“I’m not a judge,” Prater said afterward. “I didn’t stop the fight. All I know is that he hit me and it sent a shock of pain through my body unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if the shots were legal. I just know it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

It’s frustrating for fans — and could be dangerous for fighters — to see how inconsistent referees are about enforcing the rule against hitting opponents in the back of the head. For high-profile examples of much more severe strikes to the back of the head that the referees let go, watch Vitor Belfort‘s victory over Rich Franklin or Shane Carwin‘s win over Frank Mir. In those fights, the victors landed much harder strikes to the back of the loser’s head, and the referees let those strikes go. Consistency is needed in refereeing of any sport, and it’s seriously lacking in MMA.

UFC 142 Notes
— Gabriel Gonzaga landed only four strikes in his win over Ednaldo Oliveira, according to CompuStrike. But Gonzaga successfully completed both of his takedown attempts, achieved two dominant positions on the ground, and sunk in a rear-naked choke to end it. Gonzaga said, “I’m back,” afterward, but that remains to be seen — beating Oliveira doesn’t prove that Gonzaga is back to his previous form as one of the elite heavyweights in the world. But there’s no question that a fighter with Gonzaga’s Brazilian jiu jitsu skills can make short work of a guy with a rudimentary ground game like Oliveira.

— Vitor Belfort finished Anthony Johnson off in the first round, a day after Johnson came in overweight by 11 pounds, and UFC President Dana White said afterward that he plans to cut Johnson. It’s a shame that a fighter as talented as Johnson is losing his job, but if you can’t make weight, you can’t fight. And Johnson has repeatedly failed to make weight.

UFC 142 Quotes
— “This was my first fight without Shawn. It was definitely an adjustment not having him in my corner. I hope Shawn would be proud.”–Sam Stout, losing a tough decision in the first fight since his coach, friend and brother-in-law Shawn Tompkins died.

— “I went out there and proved to the people of Brazil that I belong in the Octagon. He was a very tough opponent. I had a tough camp and battled some injuries, but I was able to get in there tonight and control the striking and win.”–Felipe Arantes, who put on a good showing in his victory over Antonio Carvalho and appeared ecstatic to win in front of his fans back home in Brazil.

— “This was like the World Cup for me tonight. To fight against a veteran like him was a true honor. I hope this win proved to the UFC that I’m ready for the main card. I felt like a complete fighter in there tonight.”–Yuri Alcantara, using a soccer analogy to describe the feeling of beating Michihiro Omigawa at home in Brazil.

Good Call
— When the first fight went to the judges’ scorecards, it was a relief to hear all three judges get it right — 29-28 for Felipe Arantes over Antonio Carvalho. Arantes clearly took the second and third rounds and deserved to win the fight, and it was also good to see that the judges didn’t favor the Brazilian in the first round, as the Canadian Carvalho got off to a good start and deserved to win the first.

Bad Call
–Thiago Tavares took a unanimous decision over Sam Stout in a fight that easily could have been 29-28 either way. But the bad call was UFC announcer Bruce Buffer not announcing the judges’ scores — the fans were left with no idea how the judges arrived at their unanimous decision for Tavares, just that Tavares had won by unanimous decision. Announcing the scores is a must, especially in a decision so close.

Stock Up
Edson Barboza is now 10-0 in his MMA career after an incredible knockout kick of Terry Etim. We already knew Barboza was one of the most explosive strikers in the lightweight division, but no one could have predicted that he’d produce one of the all-time great knockouts against a good opponent like Etim. Barboza might struggle against some of the lightweight division’s top wrestlers, but as a striker he’s just about as good as it gets at 155 pounds.

Stock Down
Michihiro Omigawa has now lost three of his four fights since returning to the UFC early last year, after getting thoroughly dominated by Yuri Alcantara. Omigawa went on a tear in Japan in 2009 and 2010 and looked like one of the best featherweights in the world, but in the Octagon he simply hasn’t been able to get the job done. He might be finished in the UFC.

Fight I Want To See Next
Jose Aldo put on such a show against Chad Mendes that I just don’t see any challenges emerging for him in the featherweight division. The fight I want to see next is Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar. If Edgar beats Ben Henderson next month, I’d love to see both Aldo and Edgar keep their titles and meet at a catchweight of 150 pounds for a champion vs. champion superfight.

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UFC 142 Results: Erick Silva Disqualified by Referee Mario Yamasaki

Filed under: UFC, NewsWe have a major controversy at UFC 142.

Erick Silva, one of the most exciting young welterweights in mixed martial arts, was disqualified despite putting on a great show in his native Brazil because referee Mario Yamasaki ruled t…

Filed under: UFC, News

We have a major controversy at UFC 142.

Erick Silva, one of the most exciting young welterweights in mixed martial arts, was disqualified despite putting on a great show in his native Brazil because referee Mario Yamasaki ruled that Silva had landed illegal punches to the back of opponent Carlo Prater‘s head.

Silva swarmed on Prater from the opening bell, landing a hard knee at the start of the fight to knock Prater down and then pummeling Prater with hammer fists on the ground until Yamasaki had no choice but to step in and stop the fight after just 29 seconds. But while it looked like Silva would win by TKO, instead Yamasaki disqualified him.

“I’m not a judge. I didn’t stop the fight,” Prater said. “All I know is that he hit me and it sent a shock of pain through my body unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if the shots were legal. I just know it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

More: UFC 142 Results | Latest UFC News

Yamasaki was briefly interviewed by UFC announcer Joe Rogan after the fight, and Rogan was incensed, insisting that all of Silva’s fights were legal. Yamasaki, however, insisted that Silva did hit Prater on the back of the head, and Yamasaki said that once he made his decision it was final.

“I had to decide right there and then. There’s nothing I can do,” Yamasaki said.

Silva showed a great deal of class after the fight and declined to criticize Yamasaki, even though he was obviously disappointed to have lost a fight he dominated.

“I have great respect for the referee but I see that most of them hit the side of the head. I don’t see that any of them hit the back of the head,” Silva said.

Silva has now fought twice in the UFC, for a total of just 1 minute, 9 seconds. He made his UFC debut at UFC 134 and beat Luis Ramos by TKO in just 40 seconds. Technically, his record has now dropped to 13-2, but there’s no question that Silva was the better fighter in the Octagon on Saturday night, even as he walks away with a disappointing loss.

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‘UFC Live: Cruz Vs. Johnson’ Aftermath: Those Cats Were Fast as Lightning

After weeks of height-related gags, Struve still wasn’t done rubbing his length advantage in Barry’s face. (Photo: Tracy Lee via Yahoo Sports!)

Sandwiched between two marquee UFC cards, last night’s UFC Live flew under the promotional radar. It’s understandable that Zuffa would focus more on two stacked pay per view cards than a Versus broadcast, but in a time when fights are hyped for months only to fall short when the bell rings, it’s rare to see a card that delivers so much action from Facebook to the main event. Add to the mix that there was gold on the line and the lack of promotion for this event is borderline criminal. Only two fights on the card were decided by the judges—though just as many were decided by the referees—and either of them could have earned FOTN honors. We’ve got a lot to cover, so hunker down.

First off, I’d like to welcome back an old friend. Elbows, we’d nearly forgotten about you, but last night you were ushered back into society like the queen of a violent debutant ball. Bored with simply working on teeth, “The Dentist” performed a full-facial extraction via elbow on Keith Wisniewski during the Facebook broadcast. Cut stoppages aren’t my favorite, but these ‘bows we’re seeing from the clinch are brutal, damage inflicting blows that you’ve got to stop before they stop you, and I like them. Speaking of which…

After weeks of height-related gags, Struve still wasn’t done rubbing his length advantage in Barry’s face. (Photo: Tracy Lee via Yahoo Sports!)

Mac Danzig and Matt Wiman opened the broadcast with an outstanding rematch that saw both men fighting for the finish. Much of the bout was spent in the clinch with Wiman throwing heavy elbows with bad intent. Danzig answered with combinations and body shots, but Wiman got better of the exchanges. The action didn’t lull when the fighters hit the mat, and though Wiman attempted a few close submissions in the second round it was Danzig who nearly ended the fight with a guillotine as the final bell rang. Wiman got his hand raised, but both men earned the $65k “Fight of the Night” bonus.

For most of his 2:49 second bout, Charlie Brenneman got his face grated against the canvas and bombed on from all angles, and that was the high point for “The Spaniard”. Johnson bullied Brenneman around like his kid brother, securing a dominant position off of a stuffed takedown and landing shots at his leisure. When he scrambled back to his feet, Brenneman was greeted with a head kick that sent him scrambling back to the mat. Once back on wobbly legs, another head kick sent him tumbling backwards. It was a forceful, undefended blow to an already-rocked opponent, but Mario Yamasaki made the decision to stop the fight while Brenneman was in mid-air. Had he waited a second longer, he may have seen that “The Spaniard” braced himself on impact with the mat and was prepared to defend himself. A tough call to make in the moment? I’m sure it is, but that’s what we expect of high-level officials, and where was his concern for fighter safety earlier in the evening? It certainly wasn’t a knockout, but it was the “Knock Out of the Night”.

Freakshow bouts are a roll of the dice, and outside of its wild finish the Barry-Struve bout did not deliver. Both fought a cautious first round, with “HD” trying to work his way inside and Struve largely content to keep him at bay with front kicks. When the two finally clinched up in round two, Struve nicely transitioned from standing darce attempt to a guillotine to a deep triangle. Barry’s Rampagesque counter was exciting, but the power bomb only served to tighten up the choke. Struve earned his fourteenth submission win and “Submission of the Night” honors. This was Barry’s second consecutive stoppage defeat.

After being put into a heavyweight-induced coma last week, Cruz and Johnson gave us a clear reminder that the lighter weight classes are where the action is. This was billed as a fight between MMA’s fastest fighters, and as predicted it looked a lot like one of those cartoon fights that takes place in a cloud of smoke with only the occasional limb popping out. For a full twenty five minutes their bout exhibited the sort of wild transitions and blazing speed that only my exes can fully appreciate. Johnson’s hustle and pressure forced Cruz to abandon his herky-jerky footwork, but the champion adapted and put on an incredible display of grappling superiority, landing two picturesque German suplexes and ten total takedowns throughout the bout. This marks Cruz’s fourth consecutive title defense, all the more impressive considering he broke his hand in the first round.

Full results (via TheMMANews.com):

Main Card (Versus)

Bantamweight Championship bout: Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45)
Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry via Submission (Triangle choke) – R2 @ 3:22
Welterweight bout: Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman via TKO (Head Kick) – R1 @ 2:49
Lightweight bout: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card (Facebook.com/UFC)

Lightweight bout: Yves Edwards def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (Punches) – R2 @ 2:44
Lightweight bout: Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson via Submission (Heel hook) – R1 @ 3:00
Catchweight (138 lbs) bout: Mike Easton def. Byron Bloodworth via TKO (Knee-Punches) – R2 @ 4:52
Lightweight bout: T.J. Grant def. Shane Roller via Submission (Verbal Submission) – R3 @ 2:12
Welterweight bout: Josh Neer def. Keith Wisniewski via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) – R2 @ 5:00
Bantamweight bout: Walel Watson def. Joseph Sandoval via TKO (Kick/Punches) – R1 @ 1:17

Joey Beltran is Not Cool With His Loss to Pat Barry Saturday Night

("Take a deep breath, Joey. This will all be over soon.")
When Pat Barry left Joey Beltran laying in a heap barely able to get up at the end of their heavyweight scrap on Saturday night, choosing Beltran as the winner of the bout seemed like …

("Take a deep breath, Joey. This will all be over soon.")

When Pat Barry left Joey Beltran laying in a heap barely able to get up at the end of their heavyweight scrap on Saturday night, choosing Beltran as the winner of the bout seemed like an unlikelihood unless you were Cecil Peoples.

It depends on who you ask, I guess.

According to Fight Metric, "The Mexecutioner" landed more punches in the bout even if they were ineffective for the most part. Beltran is of the opinion that he did enough to win and that besides the unintentional eye poke he took in the third round which led to a just stoppage, referee Mario Yamasaki all but cost him the fight by calling for breaks and restarts when the two fighters seemed to be stalling on the cage and by stopping the fight when Beltran had an advantageous position when Pat claimed to be kicked in the berries.