>Referees are generally very well-trained and the overriding imperative is fighter safety. I don't know if I'd agree with either of these statements, as we saw

>Referees are generally very well-trained and the overriding imperative is fighter safety. I don't know if I'd agree with either of these statements, as we saw this weekend. First, UFC events seem inundated with horrible stoppages. Early stoppages are annoying, but at least they're safe. Late stoppages still abound, though. Lauzon vs Sanchez was a good example of this. But these guys were put on the card to smash, so the ref made sure the fans got their money worth. We got to watch Sanchez stumble around on his feet in a daze. For the second, the referees seem to be most concerned about the entertainment of the fans, first and foremost. Forcing Cormier and Silva into a stand-up on multiple occasions Saturday night is an example here. The refs are more than happy to force people to go toe-to-toe.