Referee’s making questionable decisions is an all-too familiar sight in MMA and here’s four of the craziest you’re ever likely to see.
Kevin Croom Vs Asulan Toktarbaev
This truly bizarre fight took place at ‘Alash Pride: Great Battle 2’ in December of 2013.
Croom, known as ‘The Hard-Hitting Hillbilly’ landed a big knee to Toktarbaev’s face early in the opening round that led to his opponent complaining to the referee and then turned his back on the fight.
Croom rightly continued to fight, jumping onto Toktarbaev’s back to apply a rear-naked choke, but the referee intervened and pulled him off.
Toktarbaev was allowed to leave the cage to get treatment for a nasty gash on his head, then return four minutes later with a massive bandage wrapped around his head to continue fighting.
Even Toktarbeav’s team recognized how absurd the situation was, leading to them throwing the towel in shortly afterwards as Croom began beating the fighter up on the mat.
Junior Maranhao Vs Matt Manzanares
A horrendous referee decision at RFA 14 in 2014 put Junior Maranhao’s health and safety at risk.
At the end of the fourth round, Maranhao’s opponent Matt Manzanares locked in a tight triangle choke, but he was able to survive and made it back to his stool.
However, in-between rounds Maranho suddenly passed out, falling off his stool and landing flat on his face, before coming too again shortly afterwards.
After some deliberation in the cage, a hugely controversial decision was made that Maranhao was fit to continue fighting, and he’d go on to lose by split decision.
Buck Pineau Vs Isaiah Queen
In the opening round of an amateur fight at Amateur event NEF Fight Night 9 in 2013, Buck Pineau badly injured his right knee and collapsed to the mat.
Queen backed off thinking the fight was over, but after speaking to the injured party the ref allowed the fight to continue.
Pineau had to be helped back to his corner in-between rounds and the cage-side doctor said he was going to stop the fight, but the fighter convinced him to let him continue.
Despite barely being able to stand, Pineau would go on to use his grappling skills on the mat to win by decision.
David Baxter Vs Justin Kristie
When Justin Kristie choked David Baxter unconscious at the snappily titled, ‘Warrior Nation Xtreme Fighters Alliance: Warrior Nation III’ in 2012, people naturally assumed the fight was over.
However, despite the fact Kristie was lying twitching on the mat, the ref decided that the finish had come after the bell, so the fighter was given several minutes to recover and then send back out for the next round.
Remarkably, Kristie would then go on to win by TKO!
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Nonetheless, most experts agreed afterwards that for their own safety a fighter should not be allowed to keep fighting after they lose consciousness.
