A lot of attention has been paid to the NFL and Major League Baseball lately due to rules changes and steroid scandals. As the Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to grow in popularity, it to is beginning to see its share of controversies.
The first controversy began with the knockout of Kimbo Slice. Slice was supposed to be the baddest man on the planet. After all, he was the YouTube superstar with the menacing glare who seemingly couldn’t be stopped. But the legend all came to a crashing end when an unknown named Seth Petruzelli TKOed Slice just 14 seconds into the fight. Immediately, cries of “FIX!” began filling the BankAtlantic Center where the fight took place. Ultimately, no evidence of a fix was ever uncovered, but suspicions mounted.
Next came UFC 94. The main event featured top welterweights and fierce opponents George St. Pierre and BJ Penn. A controversy arose during the fight as St. Pierre was seen having his back rubbed after having Vaseline applied to his face. St. Pierre went on to throttle Penn. For the remainder of the bout, Penn appeared listless and couldn’t seem to do anything to ward off St. Pierre. Penn later sent a formal request to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, asking them to investigate. In response to the controversy, the UFC has changed the rules so only official cut-men can enter the octagon to treat a fighter.
The latest controversy seems like something right out of the NFL. Lately, referees have been taking a lot of heat for early stoppages as well as allowing fights to go on for far too long. Even UFC president, Dana White has chimed in and has called recent referring to be simply atrocious.
The latest referee stoppages at UFC 96 have been well documented. However, the controversy really began at UFC 95 when welterweight and UFC newcomer Paulo Thiago knocked out UFC star Josh Koscheck midway through the first round. Koscheck argued that he was still conscious and able to defend himself. Thiago, a member of the MMA Sportswear company, Basthardt fight team, caught Koscheck with a vicious hook that sent his opponent sprawling to the mat. Clearly not wanting to harm his opponent any further, the Basthardt fighter took a step back, which allowed the referee to jump in and wave the fighter off. To some in London’s O2 Arena, it seemed as if the fight was called too soon. However, after reviewing the tape, Koscheck clearly didn’t have his senses and the fight was properly called off.
As the UFC continues to gain traction as a legitimate sport, new controversies are unavoidable. Lets just hope nothing happens to sink the new league.