Issue 105

September 2013

Mario Yamasaki An MMA referee for 12 years, Mario has black belts in judo and BJJ. Each issue he discusses the hottest topics in the sport through the eyes of an official

UFC 160’s main event referee explains why he stopped Velasquez vs. Silva when he did

This month I am once again going to take you behind the scenes to show you what can take place in the aftermath of a bout: on this occasion, the Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva main event at UFC 160, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

As an official we sometimes have to explain why we made the decisions we did. I decided to write a statement following the Velasquez-Silva bout, which some people thought was stopped early, outlining the thinking process that led to my decision. 

I was not asked to do so by Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, or by the UFC, but I did it of my own volition. ‘Controversies’ can be seen in a much different light once the facts are presented, in a clear, concise manner; and I also feel that you, FO readers, could benefit by seeing what goes through the minds of officials.

So, having said all that, here is my explanation as to why I stopped the fight when I did:

Dear Sirs,

My primary responsibility as an official is the mandate of the safety of the fighters first and foremost. As someone whose family has a long-standing involvement in combative sports (my father being an Olympic judo referee), I have great empathy for each and every fighter entering the arena, and place their safety at the top of my priorities.

Early in round one, Velasquez struck Silva with an extremely powerful right hand, which inflicted severe trauma to Silva. So much so that it dropped him to his knees. As a referee I recognized this immediately, and my thought process was that I had to start monitoring Silva for any signs that he might be in trouble. The primary cues I am looking for at this point are that Silva must display a thought process indicative of a fighter who can react and create adequate defense and/or offense.

Without missing a step, Velasquez followed up on Silva who was now on the ground on all fours in a very vulnerable position. 

Some might consider this a classic turtle position, consistent with BJJ/judo or other grappling arts; however, it was much more open and lacked any rudimentary defensive capabilities. 

In short, it was a position that any fighter, who if he was displaying a working cognitive mind-set, should not be in, and would have done their best to try to escape.

At this point, Velasquez controlled Silva on the ground and then initiated a series of strikes to Silva. Classic ground ‘n’ pound to a disabled fighter. I was looking for signs of intelligent defense from that point on, something along the lines of Silva trying to stand back up, or move on to his back to take a basic BJJ guard, or even to try to suppress the incoming strikes which were prevailing and getting through. However, that never occurred. At one point I even warned Silva. Clearly he was not in the game.

I made the decision to stop the fight at that point. I had assumed that the knockdown Silva suffered was severe enough to disable him, so that he could not make rational choices, and offer up any effective defense, or improve his position and stay in the fight. 

This is something I warned the fighters about during my pre-fight instructions, that they needed to be intelligently defending themselves at all times.

I also understand there was reference to my size and my ability to control the match. This is irrelevant. When I said “Stop”, Velasquez immediately stopped, and in fact the whole controversy involved has to do with the allegations I stopped the fight too soon. Therefore there should be no issue with size versus control of the fight.

For the record, the authority of any referee comes from the commission they represent. Fighters respect the authority of the position entrusted by the commission. We do not have to get into the cage and physically assault fighters to gain compliance; we exercise compliance through our ability to communicate with them. “Stop!” means stop.

 I hope this explanation is satisfactory. Again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to referee the main event and should you wish any additional explanations or clarity on this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Mario Yamasaki