Tag: referee blunders

GIF of the Day: Quite Possibly the Most Horrific Stoppage in the History of Officiated Fighting


(Props: @GrabakaHitman via r/MMA)

Words cannot even begin to describe how abhorrent and borderline criminal referee Wiekus Swart’s performance was at yesterday’s EFC Africa 28 event. To quote Gene Wilder, Wiekus Smart is a “stupid, ignorant son of a bitch, dumb bastard” who should have his license revoked and be barred from attending an MMA event, watching an MMA event, or even listening to an MMA-themed podcast until he is shed of this mortal coil.

Let’s take a step back. About three weeks back, specifically, when EFC Africa fighter Booto Guylain died as a result of head injuries he suffered during a TKO loss to Keron Davies. It was a devastating moment for the tightly-knit EFC community, and one that EFC Africa President Cairo Howarth dubbed “a huge loss to the sport and to all who know him.”

It was also a tragedy placed at the forefront of EFC 28 yesterday, with all of the evening’s competitors donning a black armband to honor Guylain in a touching, if frightening reminder of how dangerous a sport MMA can be. Yet at this very same event, referee Swart allowed this catastrophe of common sense and human judgement to take place during a fight between Christophe Walravens and Bernado Mikixi.

How many illegal shots to the back of the head did you count after Walravens dropped Mikixi? 10? 12? How many seconds did you count between Walravens pleading with Swart to end the fight and Swart’s intervention?

I’ve never said that the job of an MMA referee was an easy one, nor have I ever claimed that I could do it better than those who do. But this is unforgivable. Allowing this man to continue refereeing MMA fights would be akin to allowing Denzel Washington’s character in Flight to continue flying planes.

In an era of MMA where referees are still only being held accountable for their actions on message boards and blogs, a precedence needs to be set that the job of protecting two trained fighters from killing one another is not one to be taken lightly, nor is it one that should be granted to any asshole with $600 and 3 days of spare time. An example needs to be made. Wiekus Swart is that example.

–J. Jones


(Props: @GrabakaHitman via r/MMA)

Words cannot even begin to describe how abhorrent and borderline criminal referee Wiekus Swart’s performance was at yesterday’s EFC Africa 28 event. To quote Gene Wilder, Wiekus Smart is a “stupid, ignorant son of a bitch, dumb bastard” who should have his license revoked and be barred from attending an MMA event, watching an MMA event, or even listening to an MMA-themed podcast until he is shed of this mortal coil.

Let’s take a step back. About three weeks back, specifically, when EFC Africa fighter Booto Guylain died as a result of head injuries he suffered during a TKO loss to Keron Davies. It was a devastating moment for the tightly-knit EFC community, and one that EFC Africa President Cairo Howarth dubbed “a huge loss to the sport and to all who know him.”

It was also a tragedy placed at the forefront of EFC 28 yesterday, with all of the evening’s competitors donning a black armband to honor Guylain in a touching, if frightening reminder of how dangerous a sport MMA can be. Yet at this very same event, referee Swart allowed this catastrophe of common sense and human judgement to take place during a fight between Christophe Walravens and Bernado Mikixi.

How many illegal shots to the back of the head did you count after Walravens dropped Mikixi? 10? 12? How many seconds did you count between Walravens pleading with Swart to end the fight and Swart’s intervention?

I’ve never said that the job of an MMA referee was an easy one, nor have I ever claimed that I could do it better than those who do. But this is unforgivable. Allowing this man to continue refereeing MMA fights would be akin to allowing Denzel Washington’s character in Flight to continue flying planes.

In an era of MMA where referees are still only being held accountable for their actions on message boards and blogs, a precedence needs to be set that the job of protecting two trained fighters from killing one another is not one to be taken lightly, nor is it one that should be granted to any asshole with $600 and 3 days of spare time. An example needs to be made. Wiekus Swart is that example.

–J. Jones

[VIDEO] This “Worst Stoppages in MMA” Supercut Portrays the *Real* Agony of Being an MMA Fan (or Fighter)

Much like that of a police officer, an intern, or a mid-level MMA blogger, the job of an MMA referee is an oft thankless one, rife with controversy and Internet comments from anonymous people claiming that they could do it better than you (that last part may be a bit specific). But after watching this supercut of “The Worst Stoppages in MMA” compiled by TapNapSnap, you might begin to understand why most fight fans hold MMA referees second only to MMA judges on the list of incompetent fuck-ups who are ruining the sport. Truly a life of never-ending agony and disappointment, that of the MMA fan.

Whether it’s horrifyingly late stoppages like Marius Zaromskis vs. Andrey Koreshkov, “virgin on prom night”-premature stoppages like Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson 1, or just plain bizarre stoppages and stand-ups that have occurred over the years in Bellator, Strikeforce, and the UFC (among several smaller promotions), this video is sure to remove any traces of empathy you had left for MMA referees, and in fact, it might send you into a blind rage that ends with the mass killing of anyone wearing a vertically striped shirt. We will not be held liable, in any case.

So take a few deep breaths and check out the 30-minute supercut above, then watch this gif of Daniel Gallemore vs. Fredrick Brown from Bellator 113 and completely lose your sh*t again. Fair warning.

–J. Jones

Much like that of a police officer, an intern, or a mid-level MMA blogger, the job of an MMA referee is an oft thankless one, rife with controversy and Internet comments from anonymous people claiming that they could do it better than you (that last part may be a bit specific). But after watching this supercut of “The Worst Stoppages in MMA” compiled by TapNapSnap, you might begin to understand why most fight fans hold MMA referees second only to MMA judges on the list of incompetent fuck-ups who are ruining the sport. Truly a life of never-ending agony and disappointment, that of the MMA fan.

Whether it’s horrifyingly late stoppages like Marius Zaromskis vs. Andrey Koreshkov, “virgin on prom night”-premature stoppages like Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson 1, or just plain bizarre stoppages and stand-ups that have occurred over the years in Bellator, Strikeforce, and the UFC (among several smaller promotions), this video is sure to remove any traces of empathy you had left for MMA referees, and in fact, it might send you into a blind rage that ends with the mass killing of anyone wearing a vertically striped shirt. We will not be held liable, in any case.

So take a few deep breaths and check out the 30-minute supercut above, then watch this gif of Daniel Gallemore vs. Fredrick Brown from Bellator 113 and completely lose your sh*t again. Fair warning.

–J. Jones

[VIDEO] Spend the Next Half Hour Watching Some of the Worst Referee F*ck Ups Ever


(It was later revealed that Mazzagatti had been planning to kill Fitch for years and was simply waiting for the right moment to pounce. Photo via Tracy Lee at Yahoo Sports.) 

It’s been a pretty slow couple of days in the MMA world, Potato Nation. How should you know this? Because the news that’s being dropped off on our (imaginary) desks by our (imaginary) bosses is some bullshit about a fitting issue at WSoF 2 that resulted in Andrei Arlovski wearing those UFC gloves….

…There’s also some stuff about Georges St. Pierre possibly only having 2-3 fights left in him, which should come as shock to absolutely none of you. Personally, I’m just excited to see how dark Batroc can be in his head. Because Captain America is a bully, and Batroc hates bullies.

But lucky for you, CagePotato has been and always will be the place to come for ring girl galleries (with a picture viewer that is universally praised, I might add), lively, intellectually-driven debate, and aggressively stupid videos that horrendously attempt to pass off butt jokes as “MMA reporting.” Yeah, at least one of those things is true. And in lieu of anything truly newsworthy, we present you with this near half hour long clip looking back at some of the worst referee blunders in MMA history.

All the usual players are there: Mergs, Porn ‘stache Steve, Willow Tree-Winslow (seriously, the similarities are shocking), any PRIDE referee, and everything from Jerry Poe’s horrifyingly late Bellator 78 stoppage to Kim Couture’s temporary trip into the afterlife are revisited. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you’ll mostly just get pissed off. Enjoy?

Video after the jump. 


(It was later revealed that Mazzagatti had been planning to kill Fitch for years and was simply waiting for the right moment to pounce. Photo via Tracy Lee at Yahoo Sports.) 

It’s been a pretty slow couple of days in the MMA world, Potato Nation. How should you know this? Because the news that’s being dropped off on our (imaginary) desks by our (imaginary) bosses is some bullshit about a fitting issue at WSoF 2 that resulted in Andrei Arlovski wearing those UFC gloves….

…There’s also some stuff about Georges St. Pierre possibly only having 2-3 fights left in him, which should come as shock to absolutely none of you. Personally, I’m just excited to see how dark Batroc can be in his head. Because Captain America is a bully, and Batroc hates bullies.

But lucky for you, CagePotato has been and always will be the place to come for ring girl galleries (with a picture viewer that is universally praised, I might add), lively, intellectually-driven debate, and aggressively stupid videos that horrendously attempt to pass off butt jokes as “MMA reporting.” Yeah, at least one of those things is true. And in lieu of anything truly newsworthy, we present you with this near half hour long clip looking back at some of the worst referee blunders in MMA history.

All the usual players are there: Mergs, Porn ‘stache Steve, Willow Tree-Winslow (seriously, the similarities are shocking), any PRIDE referee, and everything from Jerry Poe’s horrifyingly late Bellator 78 stoppage to Kim Couture’s temporary trip into the afterlife are revisited. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you’ll mostly just get pissed off. Enjoy?

As if the video wasn’t great enough on its own, the segue music choices are downright brilliant. “It’s Too Late” by Carole King is Mazzagatti’s “Dust in the Wind.”

–J. Jones

Once Again, A Bellator Event Has Shined a Light on the Incompetency of MMA Refereeing

(A full replay of Quieroz vs. Volkov. For those of you who don’t have time for the whole thing, the relevant bits are after the jump.)

Although it’s a given that fight promotions have no control over which referees are assigned to their events/fights — because if they did, Dana White would have permanently relegated Steve Mazaggati to the UFC’s super secret “AIDS-ridden Lion Fights” division — it has become apparent that Bellator is clearly getting the shit end of the stick when it comes to acquiring a decent referee. Just a couple weeks ago at Bellator 78, referee Jerry Poe allowed Andrey Koreshkov to savage Maruis Zaromskis’ unconscious body so badly that it would have been considered necrophilia in some states. And just two events later at Bellator 80, referee James Warring displayed a similar, albeit less dangerous, incompetency during the Vinicius Queiroz/Alexander Volkov fight.

Our friends over at Fightlinker were able to find a compilation of Warring’s missteps during the fight, which we’ve placed below, and my God do they redefine the phrase “interesting interpretation of the rules.” Amidst a barrage of ridiuclously quick stand-ups, Warring appeared as if he were making up rules out of thin air, warning Queiroz that he could not “lead with the forehead” while he was on the ground, nor could he strike the top or the “Mohawk area” of his opponent’s head. While the first rule is an outright fabrication, the criteria for the “Mohawk area” head strikes can be found in the unified rules of MMA. That being said, Warring’s belief that a Mohawk typically starts in the middle of one’s forehead highlights the growing problems in MMA refereeing when it comes to interpreting the rules.

After the jump: The aforementioned lowlight reel of Warring’s Bellator 80 performance set to an oddly poignant soundtrack and the official complaint from Quieroz’s camp.


(A full replay of Quieroz vs. Volkov. For those of you who don’t have time for the whole thing, the relevant bits are after the jump.)

Although it’s a given that fight promotions have no control over which referees are assigned to their events/fights — because if they did, Dana White would have permanently relegated Steve Mazaggati to the UFC’s super secret “AIDS-ridden Lion Fights” division — it has become apparent that Bellator is clearly getting the shit end of the stick when it comes to acquiring a decent referee. Just a couple weeks ago at Bellator 78, referee Jerry Poe allowed Andrey Koreshkov to savage Maruis Zaromskis’ unconscious body so badly that it would have been considered necrophilia in some states. And just two events later at Bellator 80, referee James Warring displayed a similar, albeit less dangerous, incompetency during the Vinicius Queiroz/Alexander Volkov fight.

Our friends over at Fightlinker were able to find a compilation of Warring’s missteps during the fight, which we’ve placed below, and my God do they redefine the phrase “interesting interpretation of the rules.” Amidst a barrage of ridiuclously quick stand-ups, Warring appeared as if he were making up rules out of thin air, warning Queiroz that he could not “lead with the forehead” while he was on the ground, nor could he strike the top or the “Mohawk area” of his opponent’s head. While the first rule is an outright fabrication, the criteria for the “Mohawk area” head strikes can be found in the unified rules of MMA. That being said, Warring’s belief that a Mohawk typically starts in the middle of one’s forehead highlights the growing problems in MMA refereeing when it comes to interpreting the rules.

The final standup: When you see it, you’ll shit bricks.

Following the loss, Queiroz’s manager, Josef Borges, filed a complaint with the Florida State Boxing Commission. Opposing Views has the scoop:

“[Referee James] Warring could have contributed to [and] altered the result of the fight after he ordered the fighters to rise up with only 15 seconds [on the ground] … in a moment that was favorable for Vincius,” wrote Borges.

Borges has stated that he wouldn’t attempt to overturn the result, but hopes that the referee will go back and reread the rulebook.

“I would like you to register my protest and I hope that Mr. James Warring will update [his] knowledge of the rules of MMA,” wrote Borges. ”MMA means also fighting on the ground. Getting a takedown and dominating the ground also adds points to the fight.”

Now, we’re not going to say that Queiroz would have won the fight had he not been the victim of some egregious standups, but just skip ahead to the 3:18 mark of the video and tell us that the cards were not at the least stacked against him. Quieroz secures a takedown with roughly 1:05 left in the round and is almost immediately stood up with 50 seconds remaining in said round. That, my friends, is some grade A bullshit. While Bellator commentators Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock were quick to call out Warring for his injustices, can you imagine what would’ve happened if Joe Rogan had been cageside? Warring would’ve probably left the arena in tears and looking for his favorite blankey.

The only question that remains is: Will Warring attempt to blame his poor performance on that same dastardly sauna that somehow filled Queiroz’s body with Stanozolol at UFC 120?

–J. Jones

Insane Fight of the Day: Fighter Taps Out, Passes Out, Scores Second Round TKO

If a botched call is generally known as a “Mazzagati,” then this referee just earned the Pornstache Lifetime Achievement Award for this epic flub. Passed along to us by none other than KarmaAteMyCat, the above video depicts what may be the worst referee blunder in the history of MMA. Sound impossible? Prepare to have your puny minds blown.

The event was Warrior Nation XFA III. The day was April 20th. In a preliminary 135 lb contest, Justin Kristie made his amateur debut against fellow rookie David Baxter. You can watch most of the first round if you’d like, but we recommend that you skip to the 4:13 mark, where, with ten seconds remaining, Kristie locks in a tight triangle. Baxter either throws some open palm strikes, or in our opinion, appears to tap with five seconds remaining. The ref doesn’t react, a pattern that will become disturbingly apparent in the very near future, so Kristie promptly chokes Baxter the fuck out as the bell sounds.

This is where things take a turn into the truly bizarre.

If a botched call is generally known as a “Mazzagati,” then this referee just earned the Pornstache Lifetime Achievement Award for this epic flub. Passed along to us by none other than KarmaAteMyCat, the above video depicts what may be the worst referee blunder in the history of MMA. Sound impossible? Prepare to have your puny minds blown.

The event was Warrior Nation XFA III. The day was April 20th. In a preliminary 135 lb contest, Justin Kristie made his amateur debut against fellow rookie David Baxter. You can watch most of the first round if you’d like, but we recommend that you skip to the 4:13 mark, where, with ten seconds remaining, Kristie locks in a tight triangle. Baxter either throws some open palm strikes, or in our opinion, appears to tap with five seconds remaining. The ref doesn’t react, a pattern that will become disturbingly apparent in the very near future, so Kristie promptly chokes Baxter the fuck out as the bell sounds.

This is where things take a turn into the truly bizarre.

Kristie immediately celebrates upon seeing that Baxter is without a doubt in the world unconscious, a sentiment that is also picked up by a few of his cornermen and any audience member without cataracts. Meanwhile, the referee halfheartedly attempts to hold Baxter down as he begins to seizure, staring at him with the ineptitude and helplessness of a slutty white female in a horror movie, before several physicians make their way into the ring.

After simply staring down at Baxter’s unconscious body for a few moments, the officials quickly scatter and allow Baxter’s cornermen to his side, realizing that the guys in Tapout shirts are far more trained to deal with the situation at hand than they are. By the time the one-minute warning whistle has been blown, Baxter has fully regained consciousness, and despite the fact that he has spent the last minute in a pile on the mat, is allowed to continue.

“How bout that, ladies and gentlemen? We’re going to see a round 2,” remarks the strip club DJ, which somehow doesn’t cause everyone in Kristie’s corner to launch into a full-on Joe Mikulik meltdown. Apparently this promotion follows the Chael Sonnen “If you tap out you only lose the round” school of logic. That, or the original referee and ringside physicians were replaced by Frank Drebin and his crew of cohorts in an undercover effort to catch a local con man or purse snatcher.

On the off chance that you haven’t already rage-fired your computer into a wall, here comes the craziest part yet. Re-energized by his temporary crossover into the afterlife, Baxter actually manages to rally in the second round and score a TKO victory over his gassed and flabbergasted opponent. Why Kristie wasn’t given the same opportunity to recover for the third round is beyond us. In either case, this referee, along with the “physicians” at ringside who have not yet acquired the proper medical schooling to recognize when someone is clearly unconscious, should not only be rebuked for their actions, they should be barred from ever stepping foot in an MMA event in Massachusetts for the rest of their natural lives. Hell, their children shouldn’t even be allowed near an MMA event for this disastrous call.

We’re not going to treat you like the idiots involved in the above fiasco, but suffice it to say, allowing a fighter to compete after he has just been choked out is insanely dangerous bordering on criminal. The fact that Baxter managed to use the incompetency of the crew who is supposed to be protecting him to his advantage is a moot point.

To sum our feelings up, we award this referee no points, and may God have mercy on his soul.

–J. Jones

Quote of the Day: Josh Rosenthal Was “Slow on the Trigger” During Munoz/Weidman

(A replay of the Munoz/Weidman ending in all its gory glory for those of you who missed it.) 

Right before he kinda sorta announced his pending retirement from the sport during the UFC on FOUEL TV post-fight show, Stephan Bonnar made the audacious claim that referee Josh Rosenthal should be fined and/or suspended for his late stoppage during the Mark Munoz/Chris Weidman fight. After Weidman landed some 12 or 13 unanswered shots on a helpless Munoz, I briefly thought that we were witnessing the first death in the promotion’s history, and my immediate reaction was almost that of agreement. Almost. 

Because, although it is hard to deny that Rosenthal dropped the ball Wednesday night, the stoppage was likely considered even worse because it was a revered official like Rosenthal who made it. This wasn’t Steve Mazzagati calling an eye poke a TKO or Kim Winslow letting Jan Finney return from the dead only to be killed once more. This was Josh freakin’ Rosenthal, a man who had not only made our top five referees list a couple years ago, but had easily climbed up it a few spots in the time since. This was a man who had, as GritandMettle’s Darren Jensen put it, “reffed Shogun vs Hendo perfectly” — the same goes for his excellent job in the first round of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin’s UFC 116 heavyweight title fight. What we’re saying is, this isn’t an everyday occurrence for the guy. Hell, can anyone even remember an instance in recent memory that Rosenthal has even come close to screwing up (Faber/Mizugaki maybe)?

In retrospect, Bonnar’s assessment was a little harsh, but Rosenthal was still willing to admit that he shit the bed, so to speak, when he appeared on SiriusXM’s “Tapout Radio Show”.

Check out a few snippets from the interview after the jump.


(A replay of the Munoz/Weidman ending in all its gory glory for those of you who missed it.) 

Right before he kinda sorta announced his pending retirement from the sport during the UFC on FOUEL TV post-fight show, Stephan Bonnar made the audacious claim that referee Josh Rosenthal should be fined and/or suspended for his late stoppage during the Mark Munoz/Chris Weidman fight. After Weidman landed some 12 or 13 unanswered shots on a helpless Munoz, I briefly thought that we were witnessing the first death in the promotion’s history, and my immediate reaction was almost that of agreement. Almost. 

Because, although it is hard to deny that Rosenthal dropped the ball Wednesday night, the stoppage was likely considered even worse because it was a revered official like Rosenthal who made it. This wasn’t Steve Mazzagati calling an eye poke a TKO or Kim Winslow letting Jan Finney return from the dead only to be killed once more. This was Josh freakin’ Rosenthal, a man who had not only made our top five referees list a couple years ago, but had easily climbed up it a few spots in the time since. This was a man who had, as GritandMettle’s Darren Jensen put it, “reffed Shogun vs Hendo perfectly” — the same goes for his excellent job in the first round of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin’s UFC 116 heavyweight title fight. What we’re saying is, this isn’t an everyday occurrence for the guy. Hell, can anyone even remember an instance in recent memory that Rosenthal has even come close to screwing up (Faber/Mizugaki maybe)?

In retrospect, Bonnar’s assessment was a little harsh, but Rosenthal was still willing to admit that he shit the bed, so to speak, when he appeared on SiriusXM’s “Tapout Radio Show”:

I came home and I watched it, and I was kind of like you know, if I was sitting here, watching this on the couch, I probably would have been talking smack about myself. I always say accountability is a huge part of the sport, and you are accountable for your actions.

As for the stoppage in question, Rosenthal understands that it was a bit on the late side, but is just trying to make sure it never happens again:

 I feel like I was just a little slow on the trigger. I don’t want to see guys take unnecessary punishment. It’s a rough sport. Everyone knows what they sign in for, but it’s a millisecond-basis game. You’re making choices right there on the spot, and in the heat of the moment, I felt like I was seeing some stuff. In hindsight, I have to step my game up and make sure I’m on point for the next guys.

So what do you guys and gals think? Should Rosenthal be punished for failing to save Munoz when he was clearly out? Or does his one misstep pale in comparison to the blunders made by far lesser referees?

–J. Jones