Quotes of the Day: Dana White on Steve Mazzagatti
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 6:48 PM EDT
in News
53 comments
From Dave Meltzer's Latest Yahoo! Piece.
Dana starts by saying he has contacted NSAC executive director Keith Kizer about Mazzagatti no longer working UFC shows:
“[Kizer] knows my opinion,” said White. “He has no answer. He doesn’t want to hear from me.”
White then goes into greater detail over the control fighters have over who refs their fights:
“I’m going to tell the fighters they can turn down referees and it’s in their hands if they want a ref who may end up getting them hurt in a match,” said White, who noted that both Anthony Johnson and Randy Couture have turned down Mazzagatti to officiate recent matches when assigned.
It's good to see that fighters are taking a stand against poor reffing also and it is clear that Dana is looking to take the only action he can to get Mazzagatti off the UFC cards.
0 recs |
53 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
shit i never thought Mazz was a bad ref.
by Yasnian on Mar 14, 2009 6:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He isn't
But he made Brock follow the rules, and that’s a no-no.
by mythbuster on Mar 14, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You know, I’ve seen that fight at least half a dozen times and every time I see the blow to the back of the head that Maz stopped the fight and took a point for and I just can’t help but think he did it because he has something against Lesnar. I have seen much worse and more numerous shots to the back of the head that guys get repeated warnings for before a fight is stopped and a point deducted, that was so completely minor I can’t believe he did that. If a guy turns his head the split second that your fist is coming down at him what can you do? Lesnar was dominating the fight to that point and I think Maz was looking to do anything he could to get Mir into a more advantageous position. Maybe I’m completely wrong but that is the only fight I have ever seen stopped for a single, unintentional blow to the back of the head.
by ufc4 on Mar 15, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I for one
loved the call! Lesnar was frantic and not concerned with where his punches were landing and I’m sure i clearly remember two hammer fists to the back of Mirs head. I have no bias against Lesnar either. I think it’s the refs job to protect the fighters and they do what is humanly possible, and mistakes are humanly possible.
all you gotta do is...
by imapimp08 on Mar 17, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Imagine Dana holding a grudge against someone….. unthinkable.
by WARMMA on Mar 14, 2009 6:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
really?
Everybody fightin' bout a spoonful...
by plastict on Mar 15, 2009 4:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Worrying about his fighters and the sport isn’t a grudge. He might be right or wrong about this but it’s not like he is just pulling this out of the blue because of a personal grudge, lots and lots of people say the same things about Mazzagatti.
by who me on Mar 15, 2009 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think Mazzagatti is a bad ref at all. I remember once thinking he fucked up. And then reading an interview with him sometime after where he manned up to the mistake. My impression of him after reading the interview was that he was a dedicated ref who took his job very professionally.
by AnonymousA on Mar 14, 2009 7:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
They need Big John back. I read(or heard) that he is trying to get liscensed in Nevada again but just because he does doesn’t mean he will do UFCs because of stuff he said on The Fight Network. I hope that isn’t the case.
by The Legend on Mar 14, 2009 7:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
NSAC
said they considered his fight network stuff to be a conflict of interest.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok thanks, I wasn’t sure.
I was just thinking, the only fights that I can think of with Mazzagatti making a bad call or been criticized are Mir/Lesnar 1, Johnson/Burns 1, and Kongo/Al-Turk but if he didn’t take a point away from Brock in the Mir/Lesnar fight do you think he would be viewed as one of the worst referees by some? because that is the only fight out of the three that some people still complain about.
by The Legend on Mar 14, 2009 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mazzagatti seems to want to see somebody die in the cage. I know he doesn’t actually want that, but that’s the impression he gives. He lets fighters take ridiculous beatings all the damn time.
by FRANKIE on Mar 14, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Isn’t McCarthy also sponsored by Affliction? I thought I read that somewhere. That’s a big reason why Dana wants him nowhere near the Octagon.
by steveoc24 on Mar 14, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Isn't NSAC a branch of UFC?
Not really trying to point a conspiracy here. If my history is correct it was UFC who formulated the current MMA rules than lobbied to get a few friends on board of NSAC to give them a shot. Without UFC efforts NSAC would have been close to dead with how boxing events died off.
I guess my point is NSAC has grown to follow UFC’s lead because it’s been good for business. If UFC wanted Big John back NSAC would rubber stamp it.
by bignerd on Mar 14, 2009 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why do people still think boxing is dead? It isn’t, and it’s probably not going to be anytime soon.
by FRANKIE on Mar 14, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s not dead, but it has been on life support in a coma for years.
by ufc4 on Mar 15, 2009 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
uh...no
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 15, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, only 'no' if you're a main eventer..
..or one of three promoters
If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.
by Ozzz on Mar 15, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Okay...
then MMA is dying as well…unless you’re fighting in the UFC as no other American promotion has shown the ability to make money reliably for any amount of time.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 15, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not arguing against that.
It’s basically true. The only game in town making any cash is UFC, and the only guys in the UFC making real coin are the top dozen or so.
If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.
by Ozzz on Mar 16, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
New Jersey developed the Unified Rules, and that was before Dana and company bought the UFC.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 14, 2009 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No...
the NSAC was never anywhere CLOSE to shutting down. And the UFC hardly “controls” them as so many think.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 14, 2009 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Nevada State Athletic Commission is the premier athletic commission in the US and boxing has never had a problem packing arenas in Vegas. Also you have it backwards the UFC didn’t put people on NSAC and NSAC hasn’t grown because of the UFC but the UFC has hired former NSAC officials. In the fight world NSAC has always been very powerful and the UFC has connections through former members who have left NSAC (including Lorenzo Fertitta).
by who me on Mar 15, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I remember iniitially reading all these ref qualms, many of which I agreed with then playing UFC Sudden Impact on the ps2 and completely destroying both the arcade mode onhard (30+ fights) and winning champion road and legend whatever with Big John. Today I played the game and got submitted by the Mask trying to do some remedial wrsteling/ground and pound. Awesome. BTW, Undisputed still kind of looks like Sudden Impact with improved animation and not a whole lot else other than better (existent) pace(enough to make it amazing.) Lets fighting love. This is good news. hope something happens!
Everybody fightin' bout a spoonful...
by plastict on Mar 15, 2009 4:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I feel for the fighters and have seen some bad calls. However, they have about 4 refs to choose from. Not a lot of room to issue a veto.
by bignerd on Mar 14, 2009 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Mazzagatti imo is a good ref, but if there is one ref that Dana should be trying to ban from the UFC it’s Big Dan no other ref has been as consistently bad as he has lately.
by Raker on Mar 14, 2009 7:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I disagree
I think Mazzagatti is absolutely worse than Miragliotta. Dan might screw a fighter out of a win, but I’ve never seen him endanger a fighter’s health.
by FRANKIE on Mar 14, 2009 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 14, 2009 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I still laugh my ass off everytime I see that
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Mar 14, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That’s really weird. What on earth is happening here?
by Dooda on Mar 15, 2009 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was the end of the round, the bell rang just as Gono started jumping, he was pulling it back when Dan blindsided him. There is another one where Dan throws Gono off Hardy for I think a possible illegal blow. The thing is, Dan was way over the line in my opinion with ragdolling Gono around.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 15, 2009 2:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's perfectly right...
on the gif above.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 15, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The reaction is a bit much in my opinion. Get in the way, don’t shove one of the competitors flying across the cage. That he sent Gono flying twice as opposed to not touching Hardy just looks terrible in my opinion.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 15, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The other one was bad...
this one is him trying to make sure that someone doesn’t get hit with a shot after the bell. It just happens that Gono was in mid-air.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 15, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just think he could have handled it better, in a way that doesn’t shove a competitor and send him flying onto his back.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 15, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And.. how?
If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.
by Ozzz on Mar 15, 2009 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Realize that Gono is not committing to the strike, step between the fighters. Hell, shove Hardy out of the way, at least make sure that the shoves are evenly distributed.
I would much rather a fighter accidentally hit a ref than a ref intentionally hit a fighter. Dan was gunning up that shove at the beginning of the gif.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Mar 15, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And if he hadn't jumped in, and that kneelift had flattened Hardy?
What then?
I’m fairly sure Gono could take a stumble to a padded floor and not have a hernia over it.
If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.
by Ozzz on Mar 15, 2009 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gono never really committed to the knee, he pulled back well before the push and Dan didn’t just stop the strike he shoved him 10 feet across the cage. It wasn’t Dan stepping in that was the issue it was how he did it.
by who me on Mar 15, 2009 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I guess you think it's a far bigger deal..
..than most.
If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.
by Ozzz on Mar 16, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Big Dan has actually done a pretty decent job as he has become more comfortable in the high profile orgs. Not saying he didn’t have some controversial calls, but he seems to have come along pretty well.
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
by BJJDenver on Mar 15, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If anyone recalls after the last ppv at the post fight press conference dw was answering a slew of ?s about the shodding reffing that night and was asked who he thought were good refs….first he couldnt recall herb dean’s name (monty burnsish?) and then he stumbled over his words trying to say yamasaki but mazzagat.. came out instead ..he quickly corrected himself and was even like oh no NOT him my bad…it was pretty funny …he probably the entire time was also trying not to say BIG JOHN since he knows he is the best but cant put his personal differences aside for the good and safety of the fighters in his orginazation
by Ozone on Mar 14, 2009 8:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You know what being a ref is hard. The fight happens so quickly, you are bound to screw up a few times. Name a sport that a ref doesn’t screw up some time, there isn’t one. It’s an imperfect judgement these guys are human. I agree that there needs to some sort of training program for these guys to get on the same page. The scoring system is a joke as well. Any time Cecil Peoples judges a fight I cringe. Ole Cecil seems constantly come up with a different score than the other two judges. The AC’s are in charge of that crap, not Dana or the UFC. It is unfortunate that these corrupt commissions, I mean rich old white guys are in charge of guiding the sport we all love. Dana or one of the commissions needs to step up and force everyones hand to make standard across the board. The ref training programs should be mandatory for these guys, a yearly thing. This isn’t baseball. These refs have much more on the line than other sports. Look at basketball of there refs was busted for influencing games. There needs to be a regulatory body so this sport can move forword. Look at AJ vs Burns 1, how in the hell does that fight go in the books as a win for Burns? The control that each AC has is so ripe for corruption, look at CA.
I nominate Big John to head the board who writes the MMA constitution. Shoot put Dana and Scott Cocker, Keith Kizer you know MMA people and get some rules hammered out that will stick. And have a way for rules to be voted on so we can continue to be progressive in dictating the changes that happen in this sport. MMA deserves sport status and something like this would help it. Of course the AC’s would be reluctant to give up any control so let them continue to have the pee. It is what they deserve.
by WARMMA on Mar 14, 2009 8:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Why are you on the internet trying to make sense?
If you break the internet, I am going to be pissed!
I definitely think, as the sport has evolved, the rules/reffing/judging also needs to evolve. MMA is now established as a big-time sport and needs to have its own rules and such, not influenced by other sports (like boxing) and by people who have no knowledge of the sport.
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
by BJJDenver on Mar 15, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Would also help to have full time refs.
Maz has a day job. You want him to be better? Pay him enough to do it full time so he can study tape, take on more events, etc.
If you see Mark Coleman in person, drop $5 on the floor and watch the fun as he tries in vain to bend down and pick it up.
by Ozzz on Mar 15, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they should have full time refs, but he should not be among them
by MonkeyCHops on Mar 15, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bloody Elbow
Related FanShots on Bloody Elbow
![Dana White says "Karo Parisyan will not be fighting" at UFC 106.
[UPDATE] by Dana White - "Pulled out of the fight the day before weigh ins again with a laundry list of excuses!!! Let the press ask karo why! Let him explain."
[UPDATE] by Josh Gross - "Karo Parisyan via text confirmed he won’t be fighting Saturday. He declined to answer any questions."
[UPDATE] by Dana White - "Dustin will be paid his full purse to show and win. Its not his fault."
HT: twitter.com/danawhite
UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 coverage](http://cdn0.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/86739/2ufvnnc_small.jpg)
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
