Issue 094

November 2012

Mario’s tips for conquering stage fright and officiating on the biggest stage

Confronting fear is something that often gets overlooked by all referees. We always want to appear calm and decisive and maintain our composure under stress, but the Octagon is a stressful place. Lights, cameras, action – it’s not just a cliché from a Hollywood movie set. This is the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the big league, and it’s all unfolding in real time in front of millions of people.

Mario Yamasaki

UFC referee

An MMA referee for 12 years, Mario has black belts in judo and BJJ and refereed the jiu-jitsu Pan-Am Games.

And, guess what, you’re front and center and you are monitoring and controlling the action inside the cage and are responsible for the fighters. When the door closes, it’s just you and two combatants who are moments from going to go to war with one another. The world is watching. Think you can handle it? 

Let me put it in perspective: if someone working at a drive through fast food restaurant gets your order wrong, the mistake is only going to be noticed between them and yourself. If you mess up in the Octagon the world is going to know about it because it will be in the media instantly and may even be referenced for years to come. In short, your mistake is going global. Everyone is looking for blame, and officiating is always a good place to begin.

Every referee will tell you they have all experienced both fear and anxiety at times before they officiated matches. It’s normal. But it’s how you handle fear and anxiety that matters.

As a veteran MMA official I’ve learned to manage that fear over the years, and now harness it to focus my skills when it matters most. And, so, here are a few of my best tips to conquer fear and have a successful refereeing experience. 

LEARN

I have said this in previous columns, and I will probably keep on doing so, but the more you know about MMA as a referee the easier it will be to reduce your fears of being an official. Having a technical background in a combative sports discipline will always be beneficial, however, as the sport of MMA continues to evolve you too, as a referee, need to evolve with it. Keep abreast of the current rules because these define what your limitations are and how you can control the match. 

Learning should be the one constant factor that is part of the DNA of any referee and will go a long way in making you more confident. 

Positive reassurance

The mind will always navigate what the body’s responses will do. If you tell yourself you can do something there is a high probability you will accomplish it. You need to use positive affirmation statements as a confidence builder. ‘I have done this before,’ ‘I can do this,’ ‘I am confident in my skills,’ are just some examples you can use when you feel anxiety taking over.

There are only three different people in the world: the ones that makes things happen, the ones that sees things happening, and the ones that asks, ‘What happened?’ So think positively always; it will only attract positive things to you. 

Breathing

Controlling your heart rate through breathing exercises reduces fear and panic. You don’t want to get into a position where you are taking short shallow breaths. Remember, you are going to be moving around the cage and using energy. If you can’t get your breathing under control you will fatigue quicker as well as not make clear and cognitive decisions. Referees must learn to develop proper breathing techniques. 

Progressive Exposure

Before the event, a referee generally arrives early. We need to inspect the ring or cage as part of our responsibilities and we do this several hours before the show. It’s the only time when there is solitude around the cage. This is the time when you need to take account of your environment and start to visualize the event. 

Walk around the Octagon (in the case of the UFC), look into the stands they will be empty now, but learn to relax. Look cageside where the timekeeper, doctors, commission will be sitting. Become familiar with everything well before the event. If you don’t do this beforehand, the sensory overload that sneaks up on you when the event goes live can often be a strong factor in contributing to stress and fear.

Progressive Development

Generally, every referee wants to officiate in the UFC. It is considered the pinnacle of achievement for most in the industry. However, the key to not only making it in the UFC, but succeeding once you get there, is to have a wealth of experience in smaller shows. Smaller shows allow you to experience a wide range of situations with respect to the fight game and force you to solve problems. 

The more problems you solve successfully, the more your confidence will grow. The other thing small shows do is allow you to get over the stage fright of working in front of crowds. As I’ve mentioned, the stress of the crowds is a huge component of some of the fear a referee experiences. Learning to deal with this in a smaller venue is a valuable asset. 

Mentorship

It is easier going through something when you can find someone who has been there before. Part of my role now is to train and develop the next generation of officials for MMA. I have discussed with many up-and-coming officials some of the fears they may encounter during the course of their careers. I have watched new referees try to develop confidence when they have to deal with the fighters backstage as they give the prefight rules instructions. I have watched new referees sit waiting at cageside a bit nervous preparing for when they have to go out and officiate their upcoming bout. It’s in these times a mentor or coach can help alleviate the fears they are experiencing. After all, we’ve all been there.

A Japanese proverb states that fear is only as deep as the mind allows. I have a tattoo of a samurai warrior on my arm. It’s a reminder that I have embedded in my spirit the means to overcome fear, and that fear has no grip on me when I am in charge of the Octagon. In the same vein of thought, I hope this article gives you some of the tools to help process and deal with the fears you might face as a referee.