Marquardt’s coach tried to stop the fight twice
Trevor Wittman: “The damage is when it affects your sharpness and the way you perform, and to see him take punishment, that’s longevity and him having kids.”
The phrase “throwing in the towel” has migrated from combat sports to general use. However, because of fears that a fan could throw a towel into the cage, many athletic commissions in mixed martial arts do not recognize it.
With one minute left in the second round at UFC 188 on Saturday night in Mexico City, Grudge MMA founder Trevor Wittman decided that Nate Marquardt had suffered enough at the hands of Kelvin Gastelum, and jumped up on the apron to stop the fight.
Taking needless damage is not good in this sport, said Wittman to Steven Marrocco for MMAjunkie. The damage is when it affects your sharpness and the way you perform, and to see him take punishment, that’s longevity and him having kids.
They grabbed me, and their concern was that people couldn’t see. I’m sitting there swearing at these guys, and they’re like, ‘Get down. No one can stop the fight but the referee or the doctor.’
When the rounded ended, Marquardt told Whittman he had nothing left, so the coach once again tried to stop the fight, this time successfully. Marquardt however wanted to fight on.
He told me after his game plan was to throw one shot and then play defense for the rest of the round, which is not a good game plan, but that’s the fighter spirit, said Wittman. They always have the intention to find a way.
Wittman earned praise for the principled decision.
I think people praise it because you just don’t see it that often, because they’re afraid to do it, said Wittman. They’re afraid they’re going to lose their job with an athlete.
I’m going to say it when I think it’s right, especially when you’re starting to see too many concussions back to back, and that was my main concern with Nate.
Ultimately, that’s my job as a coach – to protect my athlete.”
Afterwards, UFC president Dana White offered Wittman some advice for the next time he needs to stop a fight.
‘Throw the frickin’ towel in,’ Wittman remembers White telling him. I was like, ‘s—, I would have.’
White Wittman was ready to stop the fight, he is not ready to stop Marquardt’s career, even after 50 fights, and going 1-5 his last six.
To me, it wasn’t a performance thing, said Wittman. You’ll start to see guys getting old in the training. And with my experience, I don’t think he’s quite at that point yet.