Jon Jones should be in a soap opera. Regardless of how euphoric a moment is for the current UFC light-heavyweight champion, he always finds a way to add a bit of drama to proceedings.
The most naturally talented martial artist of all time, but one of the most mentally immature. An ex-champion with one of the most successive title defences of all time, but stripped of his belt following a hit-and-run attack on a pregnant woman. And when it looked like Jones was set to get the opportunity to get his life back at the marquee UFC 200, he was flagged for a doping offence by USADA, followed by a further one year ban from competition.
However, nowhere is that soap opera bi-polarism better illustrated by this morning's news. Having brutally knocked out main rival Daniel Cormier with a left high kick in the main event of UFC 214 to reclaim the title he never lost in the Octagon, Jones seemed to have achieved the ultimate redemption.
But, almost inevitably, the story was not finished. This morning, Jones was again flagged for a potential doping violation by USADA, taken from his sample provided at the weigh-ins the day before the UFC 214 bout.
Initial reports suggest that the substance found was Turinabol, an anabolic steroid based on a derivation of testosterone. This isn't the first time that USADA has encountered the substance, with ex-UFC heavyweight Frank Mir testing positive for the drug last year. Should the use of Turinabol in the Jones case be confirmed, it would appear to be more conclusive and damning than the failed test before UFC 200, which was for an oestrogen blocker. I think Jon would struggle to suggest that "dick pills" were full of steroids - unless he's really looking to boost performance!
The impact on Jon Jones' career is potentially significant if found guilty. As this is his second offence, a four year ban from competition could be the penalty, and comes at the worst possible time. Having just entered his thirties, Jones is now in the prime of his career, and a four-year layoff would be difficult, if not impossible, to come back from. Dana White himself, reacting to today's news, said as much, suggesting that the UFC 214 victory could be the last time that we see Jones inside the Octagon if found guilty.
There's no doubt that even being associated with another doping scandal will affect Jones' career. Certainly the super fight with ex-UFC heavyweight Brock Lesnar is off the cards for the medium-term, while White also claimed that a title fight with current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was in the works for UFC 218. I think it's safe to say that there is more than a little doubt in that now!
Jones has made it clear in press conferences since the Cormier fight that he, like so many others in the UFC at present, are chasing the money fights over the traditional legitimacy of the competition. With both Lesnar and Miocic likely to provide huge cheques, Jon's set to lose more than a little cash! However, regardless of the result of the investigation, this has the potential to affect Jones' future earnings. Dana White was already concerned at the prospect of offering a headline spot at UFC 214 after his previous failed test - can you honestly say that this, whether he is found innocent or not, will slow that school of thought?
Most damaging of all for Jones, however, are the questions that are now likely to be asked of all of his previous accomplishments. Also known as the 'Anderson Silva effect', the failed drug test has the potential to ruin the legacy of the greatest of all time. Would he have had the stamina to beat Daniel Cormier at UFC 182? Would he have had the heart to overcome the challenge of Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165? Even worse, would he even have had the speed and athleticism to defeat Shogun Rua to claim the belt initially at UFC 128? It's entirely possible that the answer to all of these questions is 'yes', but the truth is we'll never know, casting doubt on his true ability.
Before we start to completely dismiss his career as drug-enhanced, it is worth considering the current defence being put forward by his team. Far from the farcical "dick pills" excuse mentioned earlier, the Jackson Winklejohn team have made the argument that Jones repeatedly tested negative throughout camp, and suggested that there would be no benefit of taking steroids the day before the fight, with the chemicals taking weeks to build up in a fighter's system and take effect.
I'm not naive enough to take this kind of thing at face value, and there is every chance that this is another cover up, but logically something doesn't add up. According to USADA's website, Jones has been tested 17 times since the agency was introduced in 2015, and bear in mind that he was out for a full year between July 2016 and July 2017 for his past indiscretion. Assuming Jones had been tested in the final few weeks ahead of the fight, there would have been no opportunity for the drug to make a difference, and with Jones already knowing the potential repercussions of a failed test first-hand, I struggle to see the pros for taking a steroid - particularly one that has also been proven to be picked up in USADA tests in the past!
Irrespective of this, the person I feel for most is Daniel Cormier, who was defeated so emphatically at UFC 214, and left unconscious and disconnected for some time afterwards. Should Jones be found guilty, he will have been severely damaged by a man who entered the Octagon having cheated to make himself more dangerous, something that could have had long-lasting effects for the remainder of his life. He's in a no-win situation, as stripping Jones of the title and returning it to Cormier would again put him in the position of being questioned as champion, having not won the belt in the Octagon.
Despite this, the statement released by DC in the hours following this news was admirable. Far from the point-scoring and trash-talking seen ahead of the fight, his reaction was perfectly reasonable and understanding. Rather than jumping to a conclusion, he made it clear that he felt that Jones was the better man on the night, and elected to hold off commenting further until the details were revealed.
After the euphoria of UFC 214, not all soap opera stories end happily, and short of something unusual, I can only realistically see one outcome to this one. In Jon Jones, the UFC had reclaimed a real draw, having lost the likes of Lesnar, Rousey and even McGregor in recent years, and in one moment, Jon Jones may have cost the UFC a legitimate PPV draw, and himself his entire career.
Showing posts with label Cormier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cormier. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Sunday, 13 August 2017
The Rise and Fall of AKA
It's June 2015. Cain Velasquez, having seen off the challenges of a brutal trilogy with Junior dos Santos, as well as Bigfoot Silva, is legitimately the 'baddest man on the planet'. Daniel Cormier, following the highly publicised implosion of Jon Jones, is fresh off the back of a euphoric light-heavyweight title victory over Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson, while Luke Rockhold awaits the date for his own title fight, at middleweight, against Chris Weidman.
This was the head of the roster at the esteemed American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Opened in 1995 by former world kickboxing champion Javier Mendez, the gym has seen a raft of UFC fighters as the sport of MMA progressed, including the likes of pioneers such as Frank Shamrock and BJ Penn. As the gym continued to garner praise and high profile fighters, expansion came naturally. Having opened its Sunnyvale facility in 2008, as well as refurbising its original site in 2011, Mendez made the ambitious move into Asia with the launch of its Thai gym in Phuket. This inevitably drew in a rapidly expanding market, with high profile competitors such as Cung Le, Takanori Gomi, Akihiro Gono and Kid Yamamoto all making the move to the facility.
As the name suggests, it's not just mixed martial artists that come through the doors. The gym has been synonymous with some of the most accomplished names in combat sports, including 2004 Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling, Khadzhimurat Gatsalov and current Glory Heavyweight kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, with a record of 51-10-1.
Fast forward two and a bit years from that June 2015 nadir, however, and the story is very different. Velasquez, far from being the heavyweight destroyer of his reign, lost the title to Fabricio Werdum and is now struggling to make it into the Octagon after an injury-ridden period, while Rockhold, having defeated Weidman at UFC 194, swiftly dropped the belt in ignominious fashion to a late-notice Michael Bisping at UFC 199.
There was even time for the gym to win and lose its first female UFC championship, with the much maligned Germaine de Randamie using every one of the 25 minutes (and a few seconds more) to defeat Holly Holm for the inaugural featherweight crown at UFC 208, before using every trick and excuse to worm her way out of fighting Cris Cyborg. This led to a public stripping of the title, with the Dutchwoman stating that her main focus was on returning to 135 pounds.
And so that brings us to UFC 214. In the revival of one of the biggest grudge match in MMA history, Daniel Cormier faced off against a returning Jon Jones. Cormier had been unfairly branded a 'fake champion' since he ascended to the throne following Jones' indiscretions, ignoring successful title defences against dangerous opponents in Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson and the opening to the fight highlighted his frustrations. Indeed, Cormier was perhaps ahead on the scorecards going through the first two rounds, and then one instinctive mistake ended it all.
Cormier's tendency to dip his head to the left brought him perfectly into position for Jones to land a devastating head-kick, with the subsequent ground and pound leaving the ex-Olympian unconscious against the cage. This provided the brutal exclamation point on the near-four year rivalry, establishing Jones as the greatest light-heavyweight of all time, and removing the final championship from AKA's grasp.
Big John McCarthy stepping in to protect Cormier marked the first moment that the gym was not home to a champion since December 2012. So where do they go now, and how do they stack up against some of the other premium establishments?
As we look at the current UFC champions, we see an interesting pattern. Despite the wealth of experienced and reputable gyms available to MMA fighters across the world, 40 per cent of UFC champions do not directly associate themselves with the recognised organisations, electing instead to predominantly organise their own training and coaches, often in a location close to them.
Of those that are aligned to a gym, American Top Team is by far the most successful, with three current title holders on their books. Both Amanda Nunes and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are full time members, while Tyron Woodley splits his time between ATT and Duke Roufus' camp in Milwaukee.
For those of you interested about the rest, Jones is a Jackson Winklejohn product, Cody Garbrandt has been brought through the system at Urijah Faber's Alpha Male gym, while Conor McGregor is a long time student of the Straight Blast Gym in Ireland under the tutelage of John Kavanagh.
So if we're seeing more fighters tailor their own training and employ their own coaches, will we ever see organisations like AKA frequently hold a stable of champions? While it seems unlikely that Cormier will be champion again any time soon, the prospects certainly remain for both Velasquez, who is apparently being targeted for a title shot later this year, and Rockhold, who is yet to return from a long layoff with an injury. Outside of that, Khabib Nurmagomedov seems just one fight from a shot at McGregor, while in Bellator, AKA Thailand product Anastasia Yankova appears to be being primed for an inaugural flyweight title bout.
Certainly, Javier Mendez will be hoping that this is simply a quick interlude before another series of champions are crowned at AKA, but we could be in the next evolution of a UFC fighter, moving away from the traditional gym approach. With the rise of the media, as well as fights among teammates becoming more common, the need to make your training as private as possible is gaining traction. Indeed, such is the perceived advantage of the element of surprise, Jon Jones refused to attend the open workouts for UFC 214 to avoid giving away too many clues.
With this in mind, loyalty to a single gym is less likely to have the same appeal to UFC fighters. We have seen the likes of TJ Dillashaw come on leaps and bounds as a result of training across numerous camps, much to the disgust of Urijah Faber, and this is expected to become increasingly popular in the future. While gyms such as AKA may be able to lay at least partial claim to some of the titles in future, I doubt very much that we will see many examples of three full time trainees at a single camp.
This was the head of the roster at the esteemed American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. Opened in 1995 by former world kickboxing champion Javier Mendez, the gym has seen a raft of UFC fighters as the sport of MMA progressed, including the likes of pioneers such as Frank Shamrock and BJ Penn. As the gym continued to garner praise and high profile fighters, expansion came naturally. Having opened its Sunnyvale facility in 2008, as well as refurbising its original site in 2011, Mendez made the ambitious move into Asia with the launch of its Thai gym in Phuket. This inevitably drew in a rapidly expanding market, with high profile competitors such as Cung Le, Takanori Gomi, Akihiro Gono and Kid Yamamoto all making the move to the facility.
As the name suggests, it's not just mixed martial artists that come through the doors. The gym has been synonymous with some of the most accomplished names in combat sports, including 2004 Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling, Khadzhimurat Gatsalov and current Glory Heavyweight kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, with a record of 51-10-1.
Fast forward two and a bit years from that June 2015 nadir, however, and the story is very different. Velasquez, far from being the heavyweight destroyer of his reign, lost the title to Fabricio Werdum and is now struggling to make it into the Octagon after an injury-ridden period, while Rockhold, having defeated Weidman at UFC 194, swiftly dropped the belt in ignominious fashion to a late-notice Michael Bisping at UFC 199.
There was even time for the gym to win and lose its first female UFC championship, with the much maligned Germaine de Randamie using every one of the 25 minutes (and a few seconds more) to defeat Holly Holm for the inaugural featherweight crown at UFC 208, before using every trick and excuse to worm her way out of fighting Cris Cyborg. This led to a public stripping of the title, with the Dutchwoman stating that her main focus was on returning to 135 pounds.
And so that brings us to UFC 214. In the revival of one of the biggest grudge match in MMA history, Daniel Cormier faced off against a returning Jon Jones. Cormier had been unfairly branded a 'fake champion' since he ascended to the throne following Jones' indiscretions, ignoring successful title defences against dangerous opponents in Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson and the opening to the fight highlighted his frustrations. Indeed, Cormier was perhaps ahead on the scorecards going through the first two rounds, and then one instinctive mistake ended it all.
Cormier's tendency to dip his head to the left brought him perfectly into position for Jones to land a devastating head-kick, with the subsequent ground and pound leaving the ex-Olympian unconscious against the cage. This provided the brutal exclamation point on the near-four year rivalry, establishing Jones as the greatest light-heavyweight of all time, and removing the final championship from AKA's grasp.
Big John McCarthy stepping in to protect Cormier marked the first moment that the gym was not home to a champion since December 2012. So where do they go now, and how do they stack up against some of the other premium establishments?
As we look at the current UFC champions, we see an interesting pattern. Despite the wealth of experienced and reputable gyms available to MMA fighters across the world, 40 per cent of UFC champions do not directly associate themselves with the recognised organisations, electing instead to predominantly organise their own training and coaches, often in a location close to them.
Of those that are aligned to a gym, American Top Team is by far the most successful, with three current title holders on their books. Both Amanda Nunes and Joanna Jedrzejczyk are full time members, while Tyron Woodley splits his time between ATT and Duke Roufus' camp in Milwaukee.
For those of you interested about the rest, Jones is a Jackson Winklejohn product, Cody Garbrandt has been brought through the system at Urijah Faber's Alpha Male gym, while Conor McGregor is a long time student of the Straight Blast Gym in Ireland under the tutelage of John Kavanagh.
So if we're seeing more fighters tailor their own training and employ their own coaches, will we ever see organisations like AKA frequently hold a stable of champions? While it seems unlikely that Cormier will be champion again any time soon, the prospects certainly remain for both Velasquez, who is apparently being targeted for a title shot later this year, and Rockhold, who is yet to return from a long layoff with an injury. Outside of that, Khabib Nurmagomedov seems just one fight from a shot at McGregor, while in Bellator, AKA Thailand product Anastasia Yankova appears to be being primed for an inaugural flyweight title bout.
Certainly, Javier Mendez will be hoping that this is simply a quick interlude before another series of champions are crowned at AKA, but we could be in the next evolution of a UFC fighter, moving away from the traditional gym approach. With the rise of the media, as well as fights among teammates becoming more common, the need to make your training as private as possible is gaining traction. Indeed, such is the perceived advantage of the element of surprise, Jon Jones refused to attend the open workouts for UFC 214 to avoid giving away too many clues.
With this in mind, loyalty to a single gym is less likely to have the same appeal to UFC fighters. We have seen the likes of TJ Dillashaw come on leaps and bounds as a result of training across numerous camps, much to the disgust of Urijah Faber, and this is expected to become increasingly popular in the future. While gyms such as AKA may be able to lay at least partial claim to some of the titles in future, I doubt very much that we will see many examples of three full time trainees at a single camp.
Thursday, 20 April 2017
The Fallout from 210: How the NYSAC Made A Mess Of It
So you may have heard, but there were a few controversies and dramas surrounding the latest UFC pay-per-view event. So many, in fact, that I remember remarking on the night that this was the most pro-wrestling the sport of MMA has ever been.
As a result, the New York State Athletic Commission has taken rather a significant pounding in the press or their part in the whole debacle, with three distinct events that will have irritated Dana White no end.
Without wanting to rub salt in the rather large wounds, particularly considering this is a Commission that has only taken part in a handful of MMA events since legalising the sport last year, in this post I'll take you through each of the issues over the weekend, the actions of the governing body, and why their decisions were wrong.
Friday:
Issue Number 1 - A New Superhero from DC: The Amazing Weight Loss Towel
Situation: At the official weigh-ins for the main event, Daniel Cormier misses weight by 1.2 pounds, which would see him forfeit his title and 20 per cent of his fight purse to Anthony Johnson. However, a few minutes later, the champion returns to the scale, and, with the help of some downward pressure on a handily placed towel, successfully weighs in at 205 pounds.
What the Commission did: Nothing. In fact, they actively said there had been no wrongdoing by DC or his coaches in the media immediately following the event.
Why that was wrong: As both Michael Bisping and Demetrious Johnson have pointed out in interviews, it's simply cheating. Now I am not of the same mindset of those two fighters, who have suggested that it's a good thing that DC 'tried it on and got away with it'. For me, cheating is cheating, and the Commission should have spotted it at the weigh-ins, or once the replay had been shown and the offence become apparent, they should not have taken the easy way out and instead come down on Cormier.
Solution: Anthony Johnson's team has launched a formal appeal to the Commission, calling for DC to be stripped of the title and 20 per cent of his fight purse given to Rumble. As the fight has already gone ahead, and DC retained, it seems unfair to strip the champ of his title on this occasion. However, I would take the 20 per cent, and I would immediately put in place a rule outlawing any touching of the towel if one is required at the weigh-ins.
Issue Number 2: May the Breast Fighter Win
Situation: Having successfully completed the ceremonial weigh-ins, it comes out that Pearl Gonzalez, who is booked for three rounds on the main card against streaking and unbeaten strawweight Cynthia Calvillo, has breast implants. This goes against the New York State Athletic Commission's regulations for combat sports.
What the Commission did: Here's where it gets a bit blurry. It was initially reported that Gonzalez had been pulled from the card for breaching the regulations, but within a matter of hours, the UFC had come out to say that this was not the case, and the fight would take place as normal. With its extensive experience in boxing, the New York State Athletic Commission had established the no implants rule for that sport, and there had not been a specific rule for MMA. While Dana White blamed the story on the media (and given his new-found friendship with the NYSAC, he was unlikely to do anything else), it seems a bizarre one for them to make up.
Why that was wrong: While not as severe as the previous incident, it's just another rather shambolic issue for the Commission to have to deal with. In a situation where confusion reigns, the spotlight is shone more heavily on those supposed to be regulating, highlighting their lack of control and understanding. In this instance, the confusion came from the lack of awareness around which rules are relevant to MMA, however, in my opinion, the fact that a new sport does not have its own rules and is instead borrowing from another similar sport, is bizarre. Could you imagine if football and rugby did the same thing?
Solution: Make a decision and stick with it. Simple as that. Or maybe make it clear which rules you're moving over from boxing and which ones will be specific to MMA.
Saturday:
Issue Number 3: 'Kneegate'
Situation: In the co-main event, Gegard Mousasi, having rocked Chris Weidman in round two, found himself in a dominant position with the American bent over. The Dutchman quickly landed two knees, leading referee Dan Miragliotta to quickly jump in, thinking that the strikes were illegal.
What the Commission did: With Weidman believing he had five minutes to recover, the ref called in the doctors and checked with fellow official John McCarthy on the video replay. With this revealing that the knees were in fact legal, there was confusion over whether the fight should be restarted or stopped, with the doctors allowing Weidman to continue to recover. Eventually, the fight was declared over and Mousasi was given the controversial TKO win.
Why that was wrong: Where to start? Ignoring the initial incorrect call by the referee, which shouldn't, but can happen at any moment, the Commission made a real mess of it. Firstly, with the NYSAC rules stating that video replays are not allowed, allowing the consultation between Miragliotta and McCarthy was wrong. However, having discovered the knees were legal, the referee and doctors still elected to allow Weidman the full five minutes to recover, which again, was wrong. Finally, having used all that time, the doctors and the ref realised their error on the second point and realised that this fight could no longer be restarted in a fair way. As a result, the contest was ended, despite the fury of the American, giving Mousasi the win in the worst possible way.
Solution: Assuming that this referee mistake happens, the answer is again relatively simple. Stick to your rules, regardless how stupid. If you want to live in a 20th century world with no video replay, you can't use it and Weidman must be given the full five minutes to recover and the fight restarted. However, the American doesn't cover himself in glory, firstly playing the 'hands-down' game, before then doing an Oscar-worthy act to attempt to cause a disqualification. He needs to man up and get back on with the fight - he talks about how he was screwed, but he was attempting to screw Gegard, so he has no leg to stand on in that regard.
Across all of these issues, there is one common theme: agree a universal rule set that is applied by every athletic commission across the world. This current system of on one week, off the next, is absolutely ridiculous, and can only be confusing to the fighter and the officials.
That means, in my eyes, the introduction of the following regulations:
As a result, the New York State Athletic Commission has taken rather a significant pounding in the press or their part in the whole debacle, with three distinct events that will have irritated Dana White no end.
Without wanting to rub salt in the rather large wounds, particularly considering this is a Commission that has only taken part in a handful of MMA events since legalising the sport last year, in this post I'll take you through each of the issues over the weekend, the actions of the governing body, and why their decisions were wrong.
Friday:
Issue Number 1 - A New Superhero from DC: The Amazing Weight Loss Towel
Situation: At the official weigh-ins for the main event, Daniel Cormier misses weight by 1.2 pounds, which would see him forfeit his title and 20 per cent of his fight purse to Anthony Johnson. However, a few minutes later, the champion returns to the scale, and, with the help of some downward pressure on a handily placed towel, successfully weighs in at 205 pounds.
What the Commission did: Nothing. In fact, they actively said there had been no wrongdoing by DC or his coaches in the media immediately following the event.
Why that was wrong: As both Michael Bisping and Demetrious Johnson have pointed out in interviews, it's simply cheating. Now I am not of the same mindset of those two fighters, who have suggested that it's a good thing that DC 'tried it on and got away with it'. For me, cheating is cheating, and the Commission should have spotted it at the weigh-ins, or once the replay had been shown and the offence become apparent, they should not have taken the easy way out and instead come down on Cormier.
Solution: Anthony Johnson's team has launched a formal appeal to the Commission, calling for DC to be stripped of the title and 20 per cent of his fight purse given to Rumble. As the fight has already gone ahead, and DC retained, it seems unfair to strip the champ of his title on this occasion. However, I would take the 20 per cent, and I would immediately put in place a rule outlawing any touching of the towel if one is required at the weigh-ins.
Issue Number 2: May the Breast Fighter Win
Situation: Having successfully completed the ceremonial weigh-ins, it comes out that Pearl Gonzalez, who is booked for three rounds on the main card against streaking and unbeaten strawweight Cynthia Calvillo, has breast implants. This goes against the New York State Athletic Commission's regulations for combat sports.
What the Commission did: Here's where it gets a bit blurry. It was initially reported that Gonzalez had been pulled from the card for breaching the regulations, but within a matter of hours, the UFC had come out to say that this was not the case, and the fight would take place as normal. With its extensive experience in boxing, the New York State Athletic Commission had established the no implants rule for that sport, and there had not been a specific rule for MMA. While Dana White blamed the story on the media (and given his new-found friendship with the NYSAC, he was unlikely to do anything else), it seems a bizarre one for them to make up.
Why that was wrong: While not as severe as the previous incident, it's just another rather shambolic issue for the Commission to have to deal with. In a situation where confusion reigns, the spotlight is shone more heavily on those supposed to be regulating, highlighting their lack of control and understanding. In this instance, the confusion came from the lack of awareness around which rules are relevant to MMA, however, in my opinion, the fact that a new sport does not have its own rules and is instead borrowing from another similar sport, is bizarre. Could you imagine if football and rugby did the same thing?
Solution: Make a decision and stick with it. Simple as that. Or maybe make it clear which rules you're moving over from boxing and which ones will be specific to MMA.
Saturday:
Issue Number 3: 'Kneegate'
Situation: In the co-main event, Gegard Mousasi, having rocked Chris Weidman in round two, found himself in a dominant position with the American bent over. The Dutchman quickly landed two knees, leading referee Dan Miragliotta to quickly jump in, thinking that the strikes were illegal.
What the Commission did: With Weidman believing he had five minutes to recover, the ref called in the doctors and checked with fellow official John McCarthy on the video replay. With this revealing that the knees were in fact legal, there was confusion over whether the fight should be restarted or stopped, with the doctors allowing Weidman to continue to recover. Eventually, the fight was declared over and Mousasi was given the controversial TKO win.
Why that was wrong: Where to start? Ignoring the initial incorrect call by the referee, which shouldn't, but can happen at any moment, the Commission made a real mess of it. Firstly, with the NYSAC rules stating that video replays are not allowed, allowing the consultation between Miragliotta and McCarthy was wrong. However, having discovered the knees were legal, the referee and doctors still elected to allow Weidman the full five minutes to recover, which again, was wrong. Finally, having used all that time, the doctors and the ref realised their error on the second point and realised that this fight could no longer be restarted in a fair way. As a result, the contest was ended, despite the fury of the American, giving Mousasi the win in the worst possible way.
Solution: Assuming that this referee mistake happens, the answer is again relatively simple. Stick to your rules, regardless how stupid. If you want to live in a 20th century world with no video replay, you can't use it and Weidman must be given the full five minutes to recover and the fight restarted. However, the American doesn't cover himself in glory, firstly playing the 'hands-down' game, before then doing an Oscar-worthy act to attempt to cause a disqualification. He needs to man up and get back on with the fight - he talks about how he was screwed, but he was attempting to screw Gegard, so he has no leg to stand on in that regard.
Across all of these issues, there is one common theme: agree a universal rule set that is applied by every athletic commission across the world. This current system of on one week, off the next, is absolutely ridiculous, and can only be confusing to the fighter and the officials.
That means, in my eyes, the introduction of the following regulations:
- If a towel is required at the weigh ins, it must be held out of the reach of the fighter on the scale to prevent any cheating
- Women (or indeed, men) with breast implants are allowed to fight
- Video replays are permissible for all suspected fouls, covering eye pokes, grounded opponents and groin shots
- If a referee's decision is shown to be incorrect, the fight should be restarted as soon as possible, and placed in the same position as it was when stopped
- A grounded opponent is one with at least one knee on the floor - hands are irrelevant to this
- Any fighter deemed to be intentionally using the 'grounded fighter' rule to their advantage in an unnatural way will be deducted a point
- All rules must be agreed and adopted by all athletic commissions at the same time
What was your view of these controversies, and how would you have handled them differently if you were at the head of the New York State Athletic Commission?
Let me know your thoughts either in the comments section below, or on Twitter @TheWeighInMMA.
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