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5 Things You Learn at MMA Ref School

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Ever wanted to be an MMA referee? Probably not, it’s a thankless job. If you make a mistake, everyone hates you. If you do your job right, well, that’s what you’re SUPPOSED to do. If you’ve watched a few fights, you’ve definitely seen some good reffing and some bad reffing but it’s never the good referees that get much attention. The pressure is immense; the scorn from the fans is unrelenting. We’re not really sure why someone would subject themselves to this, but alas, people do. Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a referee in mixed martial arts?




Government Employee 101

Referees in the MMA, at least in legitimate promotions that are sanctioned by the athletic commissions, are employees of the government. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, since they work for about 15 minutes at a time, once or twice a month. The first thing you learn in ref school is basic government employee skills like how to look busy even when you’re not, which is also why the refs are often so quick to stand up wrestlers.

Skin-Thickening Procedures 201

The skin-thickening course helps refs deal with the fans, fighters, and the scary Bald Man after making a controversial call. They are put into a pressure-sensitive pod that applies force to their entire body in order to build up calluses, and literally make their skin thicker. Somebody forgot to tell the athletic commission that thick skin is just a saying, and not literal.

Advanced Fight Ruining 301

Anyone can stop a fight early, but it takes a trained eye to know when to ruin a fight in more subtle ways. Whether it’s standing up fighters way too quickly (As soon as the crowd starts to boo prematurely, that’s when you’ve got your opening), ignoring an eye-poke or groin kick, or deducting points when you shouldn’t be – there are a lot of tools in the referee’s arsenal to ruin a fight.

Radio Communications – Optional

This is an outdated lesson that’s no longer mandatory, but back in the PRIDE days referees used to undergo a couple weeks of radio communications. Basically, this class teaches them how to control the outcome of a fight based on directions spoken into their earpiece. This was especially helpful for gambling, or for helping guys like Wanderlei think they’re actually winners. This is still offered as an option course for bonus credits, but it’s no longer mandatory.

Chemical Castration

There’s nothing more dangerous than a ref who isn’t paying attention when somebody is getting their face smashed in, so in late 2006 the Athletic Commission started implementing mandatory chemical castration for all referees in order to avoid them from being distracted by the ring girls during a fight. This decision was met with a surprisingly small amount of resistance, with Kim W. being one of the only refs to file an official complaint.


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