Issue 150

Legendary cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran crusades for common sense to rule MMA Commission boards.

I’ve worked hundreds of shows and dealt with athletic commissions in all shapes and forms. It goes with the territory. Some are really good. Some… not so much.

I worked many Strikeforce shows after Zuffa purchased the promotion, and following the format we use in the UFC.

The fighters check into their dressing rooms, go to the cage and get the feel of the mat, and then return to get their hands wrapped. We have it down to a science and it works great. At one Strikeforce show I worked, it was no different. And it was running smooth, until it was time to wrap the fighters’ hands.  

The head commissioner comes in and tells us that we can’t start wrapping hands until one hour before the first fight. This didn’t make any sense and it frustrated me. I asked why and his answer was: “It is in the rule book.”

To add to the frustration the commission also decided to give the fighters a physical. The red corner first and then the blue corner. The problem with this method is by the time the first fighter from the blue corner had his physical, he had 45 minutes to have his hands wrapped and warm up before his fight.

The proper way is to start with the first fighters and finish with the last fighters. This gives everyone plenty of time to prepare.

I’ve traveled the world and, like I mentioned previously, I have worked with some good commissions and a lot of bad ones. I understand that the purpose of a commission is to ensure the fighters are protected by making sure no fighter or trainer does anything to give them an ‘unfair advantage.’

But on the flip side, they need to understand we are experienced and we’re experts at what we do.

When I moved to Las Vegas 17 years ago, Marc Ratner, now with the UFC and formerly executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, established many of the rules we use today. Other commission members have toured our events learning the proper way to run their own commissions. 

Many more should do the same.

It is always a pleasure working with commission doctors who understand the safety needs during an event and at the same time give the cutmen an opportunity to work on a fighter. Good doctors understand what we bring to the table and want to do what is best for the fighter. Unfortunately, some doctors are more concerned with air time and sometimes affect our performance by getting in the way. 

I recently heard two doctors on my side of the cage complain because their colleagues on the other side were “in the camera’s view.” They were so upset by it that they actually picked up their chairs and moved them so they too would be on camera. Do you think these doctors would let me work on a non-dangerous cut without jumping in the way to get their ‘15 minutes of fame?’ I doubt it.

There are commissions (and doctors) that understand we in the UFC do shows every week and our biggest concern is also the safety of a fighter. Often we have new commissions thank us for doing a great job and helping them become better by teaching them and explaining how and why we do things. 

As we bounce around the globe from one event to the next and work with new commissions, it is important for them to understand they have control of the rules and regulations at every show we do. It is also important for them to understand the UFC has the best cutmen in the world as well as the best coordinator, Burt Watson, working with them and the fighters. We have seen and done it all (or close to it) and, like them, our only goal is to make sure the fighters are protected and the show runs smoothly. 

We know the commissions have their rules and regulations, but if they don’t make sense when applied, like the one-hour hand-wrapping rule or physicals for one corner and then the other, they need to get on board with us and make the necessary adjustments. 

Working together as a team, we can give the fans a great show and protect the fighters at the same time. And that makes everybody happy.