Stoppages

While the stoppages in the Art of War here in China tended to be on the early side (although many turned out to be tapouts on tape review) I have to comment on the late stoppages in the latest round of Pride and UFC.

I cannot believe that Mike Swick did not get stopped against Okami in the third round. He was mounted and taking lots of punches, and while he was blocking them and trying to roll to his back, he was having only limited success through a substantial barrage of blows. For most fighters this fight would have been stopped. I understand and agree with the rational that fighters who have proved themselves competent in such situations get a little leeway (such as Tito not getting stopped in the first against Liddell), but this deprived Okami of the TKO that was rightfully his. Fortunately, Swick did escape, and he didn't get beaten to within an inch of his life, which somewhat vindicates the decision to let it continue.

There is no excuse, however, for letting Don Frye take a minute of uncontested punches from a monster like James Thompson just because he looks like Magnum PI and the ring ropes were holding him up. Frye was clearly out on his feet (and that only because he got knocked against the ropes with each punch), and his efforts to flail back at Thompson indicated how out of it he was. Yes, I know Frye has balls of steel and this is probably the way he would want to lose, but c'mon. I eagerly tell people how safe MMA is compared to boxing and how no one has ever died in the ring. Don't make me a liar guys.

Also, people are ripping on the refs for this, but what about the corner? Swick's corner would have little reason to do so, but why didn't Frye's corner throw in the towel? It's no stain on the fighter's toughness if his corner sees him getting mauled and decides to spare him further injury, so why don't they? Yes, fighters want to win at all costs, but in some situations you know there's almost no possiblity of winning - if that coincides with taking a massive beating, corners really should be throwing in the towel.

Finally, people on Sherdog who say such late stoppages make them sick seem very odd to me. Yes, on retrospect I think there need to be some changes, but until the end I was loving it seeing Frye get tooled, especially after they both went for the Frye-Takayama-hold-your-opponent's-head-and-punch routine. It was comical seeing him flail like that and I unashamedly admit I laughed at the sight. That doesn't mean I think that's what should have happened, I don't. But c'mon - at least one reason you watch MMA is to see people get absolutely knocked silly, and Frye-Thompson delivered. Don't act like you didn't like it.