As a UFC ref, what would you do, to help make the sport and fights the best they can be?

[Arm Barbarian]

I see SO much criticism of perhaps the most important man in the cage, besides the fighters themselves - The MMA referee.

Either fights are stopped too early, or too late.

If you had the job of being the only man in the cage deciding when the fight might be stopped, or enforcing the rules, what would you do differently?

I for one, would watch tapes on the fighters I am going to ref, to see what their fighting styles and ability to absorb damage and persevere were.

If there was a fighter who was 'chinny' and prone to being being brutally KOed, I would take that into account, and be mindful to jump in, if they were taking serious head strikes.

On the flip side, if a fighter was a known, come-from-behind warrior, I would give him every chance to continue, as long as he was defending himself in a decent manner.

If I were reffing a guy notorious for fouling, I would make sure to re-enforce the rules with he and his team prior to the fight, and let them know that I will enforce those rules, via strict warnings, and points deducted, as necessary, then I would follow through with it.


If you had a shot at being the 3rd man in the ring, what would you do differently to the current top refs? What aspects of their game would you incorporate?

 

[so creamy]

First eye poke = One point taken

Second eye poke = DQ

^ Applies to fence grabs as well

Also, bring back yellow/red cards to force action. Wonderboy and Till both should've lost 30+% of their purses for their last fight, and same goes for Woodley vs WB II

 

[Blayt7hh]

I would be quicker to take a point away for fouls than most refs. In the ufc, I would be one of the slower refs to stop fights. These are the best guys in the world at the top of their game playing at high stakes. Outside the ufc I would be quicker to stop fights

 

[boxingskills]

I would be in control

And I would be in the right position

To show them my ground game

 

[Barge]

Get distracted by the cornermen when the steel chair comes in over the top

 

[TheLinguist]

Quality thread! @Arm Barbarian

First eye poke = One point taken

Second eye poke = DQ

^ Applies to fence grabs as well

Also, bring back yellow/red cards to force action. Wonderboy and Till both should've lost 30+% of their purses for their last fight, and same goes for Woodley vs WB II

Completely agree

 

[KOByFootStomp]

Only action I would take is checking a pulse. Easiest way to judge a fight is to fight to the death, anything other than that creates unnecessary controversy.

 

[Buff]

Deliberately paying attention to fighters that have a history of a certain type of foul and deducting points early on so as to avoid it happening throughout.

Yellow cards would be nice.

Actually deducting points instead of giving 100s of warnings.

 

[dormammu]

If there was a fighter who was 'chinny' and prone to being being brutally KOed, I would take that into account, and be mindful to jump in, if they were taking serious head strikes.

I would do the exact opposite, if fighter is chinny, let him bang

 

[Mixfight]

Too many people think that a fighter needs to be KOd dead for the ref to step in.

If the fighter is hurt badly and not defending well the fight should be stopped.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

Deliberately paying attention to fighters that have a history of a certain type of foul and deducting points early on so as to avoid it happening throughout.

Yellow cards would be nice.

Actually deducting points instead of giving 100s of warnings.

100%

This current set up is a joke. Multiple warnings for blatant fouls is pathetic.

Maybe one warning, then if a repeat - Instant point. 3rd infraction - DQ.

Fighters would straighten that shit out REAL quick.

 

[justbetter]

I'd advise the winning fighter to work the body for awhile - that way they get more hits in and there is less damage for the 'think of the children' crowd to freak out over.

 

[Haj01]

So if I was ref I would allow kicks to head and nut shots. This would instantly make the fights more intersting.

I would also allow headbutts because brutality = excitement!

I mean this sports already dying as it is. We need drastic rule changes. I would also surround the cage with a moat filled with crocodiles. If your opponent falls in there...he dies.

 

[Leinster Rugby]

Start penalising eye pokes.

Only stand the fighters up when it’s blatantly obvious one or both are simply resting on the ground.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

I would also surround the cage with a moat filled with crocodiles. If your opponent falls in there...he dies.

 

[mangokush]

I would allow all fighters to go out like warriors.

Also any eye pokes would be a 2 point deduction even if they are accidental.

 

[Hard To Tell]

Stop WMMA fights as soon as the first bell rings so we can just move on.

 

[Buff]

100%

This current set up is a joke. Multiple warnings for blatant fouls is pathetic.

Maybe one warning, then if a repeat - Instant point. 3rd infraction - DQ.

Fighters would straighten that shit out REAL quick.

It's almost like they give up on certain things after the first round of warnings instead of enforcing the rules, so you get dudes spamming eyepokes and so on without ever getting points taken away.

The eyepokes thing is the worst for me because it's so debilitating, and easy to do defensively or offensively, it's just flicking your fingers forward.

This was the moment that they should have really come through on the eyepokes:

The man has a loss on his record to eyepokes ffs... And it really fucked him up. 10 years ago now.

Point deductions after one warning need to happen. It's getting ridiculous.

 

[ANIM4L]

penalty for stalling. instant point deductions.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

Point deductions after one warning need to happen. It's getting ridiculous.

Yep, eye pokes may be the worst foul that NEVER truly gets punished currently.

They should also modify the gloves like other orgs, to keep fighters from extending their fingers out.