What's the point of warning both fighters to engage?

[blacknblue104]

For example, in the Lewis-Ngannou fight Herb Dean warns both guys that he will take a point away if they don't "engage"...

What can he possibly do in this situation? Deduct a point from both guys, essentially making it a 9-8 round instead of 10-9? What difference would this make?

If a fight is boring, a fight is boring...I just don't understand the purpose of a warning when both guys are throwing roughly the same amount of strikes.

Even if he chooses one of them to deduct a point from, he might essentially be picking the winner based on his opinion of who "engaging" more, which takes away from the purity of the fight (even if it's boring).

A referee shouldn't be involved in deciding a winner imo, just let the fight end and let the judges decide.

 

[Sweater of AV]

 

[Aluminati]

This call should have mandated language "Do you want to be a fucking fighter?", with the follow-up of "It's time to work, or I'm docking your paycheck" and a 10% penalty if that doesn't work.

 

[mallen7272]

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

This might be an unpopular opinion but I'd rather see a slightly "less pure" fight in which punches are being traded as opposed to a pure fight where no ones doing anything to the extent ngannou and Lewis were.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Timidity and avoiding a fight are illegal per the unified rules and can (and should) be punished by point deduction.

 

[loisestrad]

Well, he could deduct a point from the fighter who chose to not engage after the warning? As opposed to the fighter who chose to engage after the warning?

 

[Fungoose]

They should have Sherdoggers cageside to bombard the fighter with spitwads when they refuse to engage.

 

[Zefram Cochrane]

To shame them into engaging.

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

It also comes up so rarely And generally by the time it happens I'm "over it". It gets to a point where it's not even about who wins to me anymore it's more about the fighters delivering on a promise to truly participate.

Ngannou vs Lewis reminded me of the end of the NBA season where some teams bench their starters because the games don't matter. Is it strategically better? Yeah probably. But it's a real let down for fans who are paying good money to be entertained

 

[Benoitthegr8]

MMA is for the timid anyways, real men fight with guns and knives...

 

[iwhoopedbatman]

Trying to get them to engage is the point since it's illegal to avoid fighting. Plus it lets them know if they start engaging they have a chance to pick up a point if their opponent doesn't also start. Sometimes it actually works if only temporarily.

 

[Kumason]

Lets just be happy they aren't like Yuji Shimada...fight...fight...FIGHT!Action..ACTION!...ACTION! Fight! for 15 minutes while the guys are kicking the shit out of each other the entire time.

 

[SirKratos]

He wouldn't have deducted point from both fighters, theres always one fighter who controls the center of the cage. So he would have deducted point from only one of them

 

[VinceArch]

When you have a fight like Ngannou-Lewis it is a bit hard to threaten docking points cause neither were willing to engage first. Points should clearly be taken away when shit like this happens.

Kalib avoided the entire fight and Nate clowned him, knowing Kalib would not fight back.

 

[Taric]

Refs be like:

 

[Fungoose]

When you have a fight like Ngannou-Lewis it is a bit hard to threaten docking points cause neither were willing to engage first. Points should clearly be taken away when shit like this happens.

Kalib avoided the entire fight and Nate clowned him, knowing Kalib would not fight back.

Kalib had a cracked skull and three broke arms in this fight. Apparently The Rock was an appropriate nickname for Nate Quarry.

 

[Ken Fresno]

Lets just be happy they aren't like Yuji Shimada...fight...fight...FIGHT!Action..ACTION!...ACTION! Fight! for 15 minutes while the guys are kicking the shit out of each other the entire time.

YOU GIVE UP?!?

 

[waldywaldy]

Lets just be happy they aren't like Yuji Shimada...fight...fight...FIGHT!Action..ACTION!...ACTION! Fight! for 15 minutes while the guys are kicking the shit out of each other the entire time.

 

[Vegeta12]

Bringing back yellow/red cards would be great.