I remember when they used to let MMA fights reach a conclusion

[elcj]

I've noticed with so many fights nowadays, fights are ended prematurely when it looks like "the fighter could possibly get knocked out if this continues".

Too many times I've seen a fighter get rocked and if they go on the defensive for more than 3 seconds while they recover or don't go on the offensive, then the fight gets called.

I understand if a fighter is getting savagely beaten (but not ko'd) for an extended period with clearly no hope of recover shown and the corner not throwing in the towel, the ref may intervene... but over the years, refs have just been shortening and shortening that limit.

Like with Blaydes last night, Aspinall is on his back, throwing punches which aren't doing too much damage or even really stunning him, so why stop it? He could potentially get ko'd at some point?
In that position and the speed in which in happened, Blaydes really did the only thing he could do, which was cover up in the moment. Aspinall wasn't ko'ing him from that angle, so if he changed position, that would put Blaydes in a better position too.

Seen this too many times in the UFC, where are a fighter blitzes another fighter after a knockdown or stunning them, seemingly not to try and actually finish them with the KO, but to make it look like it's over, knowing the ref will stop it.

 

[oski]

And early, but slightly I would say.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

I blame Hollywood shareholders and sensitive network executives

 

[checktheknuckles]

It really is so stupid. Sometimes turtling up is the best defense while they barrage you. Like if you aren't covering your head, you are exposed and probably gonna get hit there. Not that this has anything to do with Blades, but refs stops fights when fighters are intelligently defending their selves. Guess these refs want fighters to be on the offensive instead of defensive when in bad positions. Seems very low iq if true. And fighters don't get to show their chin/recover much anymore now. I see in the future the refs are going to stop the fight after the first strike is landed. You know for fighter safety.

And the whole protecting fighters is just plain bullshit. Its a fight. If you really want to protect them, then don't let them fight.

 

[sdpdude9]

Laying flat on the ground not even covering up and not moving will get the fight stopped at any point in the last 20 years.

 

[HHJ]

It really is so stupid. Sometimes turtling up is the best defense while they barrage you.

He wasnt turtling up. He was just laying there getting hit.

 

[Dreyga_King of Sherbums]

Laying flat on the ground not even covering up and not moving will get the fight stopped at any point in the last 20 years.

He was given like 3 seconds to react

What was supposed to do in that time frame?

 

[checktheknuckles]

He wasnt turtling up. He was just laying there getting hit.

I know thats why I said it didn't apply to Blades.

 

[sdpdude9]

He was given like 3 seconds to react

What was supposed to do in that time frame?

At least cover up? Not go from hands and knees to flat on the mat? Move away at all? He actually had 7 seconds from drop to stoppage, plenty of time to do anything but go into a worse position and not defend himself.

 

[don't ask]

It really is so stupid. Sometimes turtling up is the best defense while they barrage you. Like if you aren't covering your head, you are exposed and probably gonna get hit there. Not that this has anything to do with Blades, but refs stops fights when fighters are intelligently defending their selves. Guess these refs want fighters to be on the offensive instead of defensive when in bad positions. Seems very low iq if true. And fighters don't get to show their chin/recover much anymore now. I see in the future the refs are going to stop the fight after the first strike is landed. You know for fighter safety.

And the whole protecting fighters is just plain bullshit. Its a fight. If you really want to protect them, then don't let them fight.

I think they need to see movement because turtling up intelligently looks exactly like turtling up because you're beaten senseless.

 

[elcj]

It really is so stupid. Sometimes turtling up is the best defense while they barrage you. Like if you aren't covering your head, you are exposed and probably gonna get hit there. Not that this has anything to do with Blades, but refs stops fights when fighters are intelligently defending their selves. Guess these refs want fighters to be on the offensive instead of defensive when in bad positions. Seems very low iq if true. And fighters don't get to show their chin/recover much anymore now. I see in the future the refs are going to stop the fight after the first strike is landed. You know for fighter safety.

And the whole protecting fighters is just plain bullshit. Its a fight. If you really want to protect them, then don't let them fight.

Right, fully agreed with the last line especially.

 

[Azzy]

It really is so stupid. Sometimes turtling up is the best defense while they barrage you. Like if you aren't covering your head, you are exposed and probably gonna get hit there. Not that this has anything to do with Blades, but refs stops fights when fighters are intelligently defending their selves. Guess these refs want fighters to be on the offensive instead of defensive when in bad positions. Seems very low iq if true. And fighters don't get to show their chin/recover much anymore now. I see in the future the refs are going to stop the fight after the first strike is landed. You know for fighter safety.

And the whole protecting fighters is just plain bullshit. Its a fight. If you really want to protect them, then don't let them fight.

Blaydes didn't even turtle up lol

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

I've noticed with so many fights nowadays, fights are ended prematurely when it looks like "the fighter could possibly get knocked out if this continues".

Too many times I've seen a fighter get rocked and if they go on the defensive for more than 3 seconds while they recover or don't go on the offensive, then the fight gets called.

I understand if a fighter is getting savagely beaten (but not ko'd) for an extended period with clearly no hope of recover shown and the corner not throwing in the towel, the ref may intervene... but over the years, refs have just been shortening and shortening that limit.

Like with Blaydes last night, Aspinall is on his back, throwing punches which aren't doing too much damage or even really stunning him, so why stop it? He could potentially get ko'd at some point?
In that position and the speed in which in happened, Blaydes really did the only thing he could do, which was cover up in the moment. Aspinall wasn't ko'ing him from that angle, so if he changed position, that would put Blaydes in a better position too.

Seen this too many times in the UFC, where are a fighter blitzes another fighter after a knockdown or stunning them, seemingly not to try and actually finish them with the KO, but to make it look like it's over, knowing the ref will stop it.

I concur.

However, that said, Curtis Blaydes quit. Almost look like he took a dive.

It wasn't so much that he was "out" ... it's that he, literally, just laid on his stomach and DID NOTHING FURTHER.

Never made an effort to do anything.

Blaydes is a funking professional fighter ... HE KNOWS the fight will be stopped, if he sits there and doesn't "intelligently defend himself."

He literally laid on his belly, did nothing, tried nothing, didn't try to change his position .... basically just WAITED FOR the stoppage.

That was either rigged, or Blaydes is just a non-competitor, the moment he gets hurt. Shits all over himself and "wants out" ...

Whatever TF that was we saw, it was a quit, whether it was Blaydes' lack of will, or a payoff, HE STOPPED TRYING altogether, the moment he went down and rolled on his belly.

 

[elcj]

He wasnt turtling up. He was just laying there getting hit.

What could he really do in that position?

A 250lb man your back, that you can't see and he's throwing everything he has at you (which isn't very much in that moment and angle), the best thing you can do is ride it out really.

What else do you expect Blaydes to do right there?

You can see he was actually trying to lift himself up safely while also avoiding exposing his chin or getting hit by something that would really do damage.

 

[HHJ]

What could he really do in that position?

A 250lb man your back, that you can't see and he's throwing everything he has at you (which isn't very much in that moment and angle), the best thing you can do is ride it out really.

What else do you expect Blaydes to do right there?

You can see he was actually trying to lift himself up safely while also avoiding exposing his chin or getting hit by something that would really do damage.

Good thing the ref stopped it then lol

 

[Dreyga_King of Sherbums]

At least cover up? Not go from hands and knees to flat on the mat? Move away at all? He actually had 7 seconds from drop to stoppage, plenty of time to do anything but go into a worse position and not defend himself.

I’m counting from the first punch Aspinall threw on the ground to the ref intervention.

Covering up would have led to the ref doing the same thing.

 

[cmw43]

I concur.

However, that said, Curtis Blaydes quit. Almost look like he took a dive.

It wasn't so much that he was "out" ... it's that he, literally, just laid on his stomach and DID NOTHING FURTHER.

Never made an effort to do anything.

Blaydes is a funking professional fighter ... HE KNOWS the fight will be stopped, if he sits there and doesn't "intelligently defend himself."

He literally laid on his belly, did nothing, tried nothing, didn't try to change his position .... basically just WAITED FOR the stoppage.

That was either rigged, or Blaydes is just a non-competitor, the moment he gets hurt. Shits all over himself and "wants out" ...

Whatever TF that was we saw, it was a quit, whether it was Blaydes' lack of will, or a payoff, HE STOPPED TRYING altogether, the moment he went down and rolled on his belly.

He was probably dazed from getting dropped and eating all the follow up strikes.

 

[elcj]

At least cover up? Not go from hands and knees to flat on the mat? Move away at all? He actually had 7 seconds from drop to stoppage, plenty of time to do anything but go into a worse position and not defend himself.

I've seen fighters cover up a lot more and the ref stop it because of that.

He was flat because he had a very heavy man on his back trying to blitz and KO him. He kept his chin tucked to avoid the incoming shots that he couldn't see, doing any significant damage. He actually did try to get up but wasn't given enough time.

 

[sdpdude9]

I’m counting from the first punch Aspinall threw on the ground to the ref intervention.

Covering up would have led to the ref doing the same thing.

And yet he didn’t even do that bare minimum of defending himself.

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

He was probably dazed from getting dropped and eating all the follow up strikes.

I don't think he was dazed, he made a conscious decision to do nothing, to have the fight stopped.

Been watching combat sports since the mid-70s.

Dazed fighters who ARE GAME ,,, go after the ref ... go after somebody ... are trying to get up ... you can still see their FIGHTING INSTINCTS clear as day. Their mind may be dazed, but their fighting spirit is still alive.

Blades laid on his belly and quit, the didn't try to do A DAMNED THING. Ray Charles could see that clear as day also.