Issue 101
May 2013
MMA referee Mario Yamasaki brings FO more tips for earning the essential respect of fighters and cornermen before you step in the ring or the cage.
Last issue, I started to talk you through how the game’s greatest officials establish control of the cage hours before the fight starts.
Using the traditional pre-fight rules briefing, where referees will meet the fighters they are about to officiate before the bout to explain the rules and answer any questions, officials can ensure they have the respect and compliance of the fighters they’re due to watch over.
This issue, I’m giving you the final pieces of the puzzle.
Control
Maintain control of the instructions at all times. That doesn’t mean being abusive, it means being a professional at all times. This is your rules meeting; it is up to you to establish control. Ensure the fighters and the corners are paying attention and take this interaction seriously.
Primarily, these instructions are for their safety and their opponent’s safety, but also they can prevent a fighter getting disqualified or losing points, which can affect whether they win a fight or not. Jon Jones would have a perfect record right now, if he didn’t break the rules and get disqualified during his fight with Matt Hamill.
Respect
If you want a fighter to respect you as an official, you must also respect them. Avoid passing any judgment as to who they are, who their corners are, or where they come from.
Confrontation
Avoid arguments. You are explaining the rules to the fighter and his corner team, it isn’t your job to justify the rules if they believe a rule is invalid. For example, I’ve been asked numerous times about the 12-to-six elbow strike with fighters arguing that it’s a ‘stupid rule.’
Again we are not there to justify and defend the rules, we are there to ensure compliance of the rules. When they agree to fight, they are agreeing to fight under the rule set.
Consistency
Be consistent. You need to go over the same rules for all fighters. I have seen officials go over all the rules with one fighter, and then only go over a few with another fighter. Their reason is usually something along the lines of, ‘He knows the rules, he is an experienced fighter.’ In the interest of professionalism, due diligence and fairness, you should ensure every fighter receives the same instructions.
The exception might be if you have a fighter who has a compliance issue in the past or if the commission wants additional instructions given to a fighter. In that case extended instructions for the sake of clarity would apply to that fighter. You never want to have a fighter or corner come back in the event of a controversy and indicate that a referee never explained something fully prior to the fight.
Keeping it simple
Refrain from making any additional small talk or other extraneous comments. The rules meeting and instructions are a time when you are communicating with the fighter and the corner as to how you are going to be officiating the fight.
I’ve heard officials trying to make small talk, make jokes and so on. This
is a personal time when fighters are getting their hands wrapped, going over last-minute details with their corners, and getting mentally in the game. Overstaying your welcome makes you look like a fan and someone who is
just interested in hanging out with the fighters. Do your job and move on.
Professionalism
Maintain professional conduct even if the fighter or corner becomes abusive or derogatory towards you.
Sometimes a situation will arise where a comment is made about the way you called a past fight. This is inevitable, especially when fighters are getting psyched into battle. Again, be professional, you are not there to argue.
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