There has been a rare but continuing string of catastrophic injuries caused by executing a takedown while in a guillotine. Last year former college club wrestler, grappler, music promoter, and guitar player Steve Watts was paralyzed from the neck down in an unregulated amateur mixed martial arts event at Cher-Ae Heights Casino, in California.
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey heard about Watts’ case, and reached out via social networks with a heartfelt, moving video.
“If I’ve ever learned anything, it’s that being in pursuit of a near impossible goal is one of the most rewarding endeavors that you could ever embark on,” she said. “I admire all of the hard work that you have been doing. And I hope that you keep all of the faith that I also have that it’s all going to be for a purpose and a reason. And your work isn’t for nothing. It’s going to pay off.”
Watts replied with thanks, and wisdom of his own.
“It can be a really, really cold, hard world, on the best of days,” he said. “But for me, it was a wonderful day to start on that foot, of the very kind, and understanding video that you sent me … You keep the best people that you can around you, and work the hardest that you can. And that’s all you can do. Once you become a warrior, that’s all there is. You get up the best that you can, and give it your all. And whatever the consequences are, you deal with them. You own them. And you move forward.”
Follow Steve Watts’ efforts on Facebook…
Danger of Takedowns While In a Guillotine.
in 2009 Zach Kirk shot for a double leg in the main event of an amateur show, and got caught in a guillotine. When the fight hit the ground, Kirk’s fifth cervical vertebra shattered, bone fragments ground into his spinal cord, and his muscles went limp forever.
In 2010 Braulio Estima was temporarily paralysed while shooting for a single leg.
In early 2010 Franco Lescano was training at Argentina’s Tiger Gym for his MMA debut when he attempted a takedown while caught in a guillotine. The resulting injury left him paralyzed from the neck down, and he died 21 days later.
On May 14, 2012 fighter Devin Johnson suffered a spinal cord injury during practice at Urijah Faber’s Sacramento gym, Ultimate Fitness. He was training for his final amateur fight before turning pro. He will never fight in the cage again, but is fighting to regain as much function as he can.
On April 26, 2014 Steve Watts was paralyzed from the neck down during an unregulated amateur MMA event on tribal land in California. The catastrophic injury occurred when Watts defended a guillotine attempt by Michael Hebenstriet, by slamming his opponent. Watts’ head hit the canvas and the impact fractured his V-4 vertebrae, damaging his spinal cord.
There is a degree of ambiguity in the images below as to whether it was a guillotine, but the first account of the injury refers to a “headlock” that in context can only be some guillotine variation.
Photographer Sebastian Hedberg caught the tragedy.
Watts, now paralyzed from the neck down, was then attended to by a ring card girl, a cornerman, a referee, and reportedly some off-duty paramedics in attendance.
Watts before the accident.
And afterwards.
The event, put on by Canadian coach and promoter Don Arnott, was called “So You Wanna Fight.” There was no doctor in attendance, or ambulance. It took 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive and transport Watts to a hospital.
It was reportedly the 25th time Arnott had promoted at the casino. Unfortunately, the casino sits on tribal land, beyond the reach of CSAC executive director Andy Foster. Some tribal nations have world-class athletic commission, like the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut under Mike Mazzulli. The Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria has no athletic commission, leaving the promoter to do whatever he wants.
The rate of catastrophic injury in MMA is less than that for a number of physical activities, including cheerleading. However, catastrophic injury is possible, and with now multiple cases of permanent paralysis and a death resulting from a takedown while in a standing guillotine, trainers and fighters need to heighten their awareness.
Although MMA is widely regulated in North America, the government cannot be relied on to prevent injury in our sport. It is up to the fighters, trainers, referees, and officials to develop on awareness that some aspects of the sport are exceptionally dangerous, and that catastrophic injury has resulted in the past, and in all likelihood will do so in future. In sum, understand that driving into a double with the head trapped in a Guillotine can cause paralysis and even death.
