Issue 096
December 2012
Officiating in the UFC is much more than just the 15 or 25 minutes inside the Octagon. Preparation begins days before the opening bell
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.
Back when I was a competitor I used to begin my fight-night preparation by eating healthy and light, so I didn’t have any surprises when inside the cage or on the mats. I had some disappointments with some of the officials that didn’t prepare themselves properly, didn’t focus on the fights and made lots of mistakes – hurting either myself or my opponents. Based on that experience I tailor my own fight day now as follows.
I leave everything I have to do or worry about for the day before an event. If I have a TV or radio interview, or important meetings, I do it all the day before the fight. I also pack my ref’s kit (all black: shirts, pants, gloves and shoes) and eat a very nutritious meal, drink lots of water and cut the alcohol to a minimum, so I don’t wake up with a big hangover.
On fight day itself, I try not to leave my room at all, so I turn my phone off and wake up naturally but early. I have a healthy breakfast and go back to my room and watch movies, answer e-mails and – depending where the card is – I adjust my times accordingly. For example; if the fight is in Las Vegas we usually have to check in at 3:30pm so I do everything a little earlier. Whilst in Brazil we have to check in at 5:30pm for the UFC, and often much later if it’s a local card. But the key is to give yourself plenty of time to settle in at the venue.
My fight day lunch is very light and full of greens, grilled chicken, some pasta or rice and veggies. After that I rest until 30 minutes before I have to meet the guys in the lobby. I soak in the shower, change into my attire and board the van to the arena. The emphasis here is to be early, well rested, clean and not hungry. Then, once you arrive, the first thing to do is to check in with either the commissioner or local promoter, depending on where you are, then go and check the surrounding areas of the cage and the actual cage itself, both inside and out.
Soon you will be assigned your fights for the night. Usually I don’t like to do more than four fights a night, and never in succession. Next, I find the locker rooms and talk to the fighters I will be officiating that evening one at the time. This is crucial as every fighter is different and each needs different clarification on the rules.
I try to explain the same things to every fighter, but I’ll start by asking if they have any questions about the rules. More often than not, they will, and that’s why I do this individually. I’ll answer any queries and then move on to explain fence and foul rules. The fighters are the stars... I tell them, ‘The less you see and hear from me, the better you’re doing you job.’
Finally, as the fans begin to stream in, I will take my place around the cage and wait for my turn to either check the fighters or enter the cage. Generally, the official outside doing the checking of a fighter’s kit will be scheduled to officiate the following fight. That role also includes collecting the scorecards.
After all the fights are done, we generally head backstage for a commission’s meeting and to talk about the fights. It’s an opportunity to analyze the night’s action and, hopefully, see how we can all improve and become better officials. There is always room for improvement – even after more than a decade officiating mixed martial arts.
