Cuts End Fights

Many MMA fans who saw the last Elite XC show were upset when not 1 but 2 fights were stopped due to cuts, myself being one of them. However, as they used to say at that once proud franchise Pride FC, "fighter safety is paramount."

Fighters like Nick Diaz will always want to continue no matter their condition, and sometimes given the opportunity like in his war with Takanori Gomi, they will. Nick had been dropped by a punch much like the one that floored him by KJ Noons, cut badly, and came back to win the bout. In that fight, the cut was below the eye and thus blood didn't interfere with his vision. In the Noons fight he had 2 cuts above the eyes on the eyelids which is the worst spot for fighters (bottom right). Still, if you notice, once the fight was stopped and Diaz rose to his feet in anger, the corner had stopped the bleeding and he could have continued. The only true question is whether or not he could see out of the fast closing left eye. If you can only see out of one eye, you risk disaster much like Wanderlei Silva did when he continued with a completely closed eye against Mirko Cro Cop, and could not see the oncoming left high kick that knocked him into next week. If he could see, the fight continues, if not, the docs made the right call.

We also have some pics here of fights that were stopped by cuts that were not protested in anyway. Seth Kleinbeck's cut (top left) was not only huge, but the skin was hanging and the eye completely swelled shut. He did not complain about the stoppage. Good call.

Kalib Starnes lost his last fight when the doctors were able to see all the way to his skull (top right). Kalib asked to continue but wasn't allowed to. Good call.

Marvin Eastman earned his cut (bottom left) from a Vitor Belfort that even gained its own name ("the vagina") on the Internet. Marvin didn't know where he was anyway. Good call.

Its happened to many a fighter, including the legendary Fedor Emelianenko causing the only blemish on his record. Sometimes its about how you come back from losses, rather than how you handle the wins. The medical staff is there to protect the fighters from their opponents, and themselves.

So was the call Saturday night in Nick's case a good one? Maybe. Either way the record book is set and Nick employed a hands down sluggish game plan that allowed for the abuse and subsequent loss. It does set up a nice little bit of controversy and of course fans will be clamoring for a rematch.