Main event ref: I thought Hendricks dominated
Mario Yamasaki is one of the most experienced in the mixed martial arts business and was chosen to referee the…
Mario Yamasaki is one of the most experienced in the mixed martial arts business and was chosen to referee the UFC 167 main event between Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks for a reason.
As the referee in the cage, Yamasaki has a unique vantage point to watch a bout, but his primary concern is the safety of the fighters and isn’t intune to who’s winning or losing, however when it was over, he did have his idea of how he thought the decision would go:
“I’m inside the cage so I can’t see the fight as the judge sees it, but I thought Hendricks won the fight,” Yamasaki told MMAFighting.com. “I thought Hendricks dominated the fight, it was brutal, and I was surprised when they gave St-Pierre the win. But I’m not the judge. I look at the fight with different eyes.”
Yamasaki scored the fifth round in favor of St-Pierre, and that was it.
“The first round was slow and could have gone either way. Hendricks dominated the second one. The third was close and could also go either way, and the judges gave it to St-Pierre. When the fight was over, I thought Hendricks won every round except the last one,” he said. “But I have to watch the fight again to analyze it as a judge.”