If you watched UFC 208 last week, you probably don’t have too high of an opinion regarding the officials overseeing the sport of mixed martial arts in North America. But just to put things into context, they may be crap at handing out point deductions from fouls but at least they can identify when a fighter’s been choked unconscious and stop the fight before things get dangerous.
Sadly, that still seems to be something referees in India struggle with. We know this because of Super Fight League, India’s premiere MMA promotion. After 50 events, strange stuff continues to happen during Super Fight League matches, like this one between Asha Roka and Hannah Kampf. Early on in the fight, Roka catches Kampf in a tight guillotine … so tight it chokes Kampf unconscious in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, due to angle or inexperience, the ref doesn’t notice Kampf is out and her cornerman (UFC veteran and speedo enthusiast Dennis Hallman) had to jump into the cage to stop the fight himself before things got too dangerous.
Getting blood choked like this isn’t typically dangerous … unless the hold is held too long. That’s when brain damage could occur. That’s why it’s just slightly important to have referees sharp enough to notice when a fight is done. There’s nothing worse than seeing holds held too long or an unconscious fighter taking extra shots. So watch the video in horror, and let’s hope that referee never steps into the cage again, unless it’s to get choked out himself (for educational purposes, of course).
