UFC FN 62, in Rio, saw one of the biggest refereeing mistakes of the year so far. Photo: Inovafoto
The UFC will arrive in Rio de Janeiro again next Saturday (August 1st), for UFC 190. This will be the first time for the biggest MMA organization on the planet in the city since March, when Demian Maia and Ryan LaFlare starred in the main fight of the attraction held at the Maracanãzinho gym.
In addition to seeing the victories of Maia and Erick silva, the event also ended up negatively marked by refereeing errors. Eduardo Herdy, a mediator with considerable experience in MMA fights on the national and international scene, made two mistakes during UFC Fight Night 62, one of which was grotesque. In the fight between Jorge Blade and Christos Giagos, took a while to intervene when the Brazilian was giving up after a rear-naked choke from his opponent.
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In his next appearance in the octagon, he did the opposite: he stopped the fight early when he thought it would Drew dober he had lost consciousness during a strangulation of Leandro Buscapé, who, in fact, was already disengaged.
Herdy, however, was not the only referee to make errors of judgment during UFC fights held in Brazil (check out the gallery below). The list, in fact, is long, and includes several other referees, from the most experienced to those still seeking their space on the international scene.
Precisely with a major event like UFC 190 approaching, the SUPER FIGHTS prepared a special analyzing in depth the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA), the entity responsible for regulating Ultimate fights in the country. The first part analyzes arbitration: we will understand what the criteria are for selecting referees at events in the country and discover why there are some other veteran mediators on the national circuit who do not receive an opportunity. In the second part, we will explain in depth the role of CABMMA and some other controversies in which the entity was involved. Check out!
“Are the best referees in Brazil in the UFC?” asks veteran
Roberto Thomaz is one of the most respected referees on the national MMA scene. According to his accounts, he has already participated in more than a thousand professional fights and 500 amateur fights, in several different disciplines. Even so, “Robertão”, as he is known, is one of several cases of referees who, despite their rich CV, have never stepped foot in the UFC octagon.
In an interview with SUPER FIGHTS, Thomaz justified that there is no possibility of refereeing a fight in Ultimate as he has no connection with the regulatory entity or with the course required to receive the license.
“It’s simple: I’m not linked to CABMMA. I didn’t take Mario Yamasaki’s course”, explains Robertão, highlighting that he doesn’t have any kind of disagreement with the Brazilian entity’s arbitration director. “I am not a top hat, I do not intend to and I am not linked to top hats and confederations. I do not represent the opposition of this famous international referee. I only saw him in person once. I spent my life on the mat and in competitions and didn’t have the opportunity to meet him,” he continued.
MMA veteran, Robertão (center) was never scheduled to play in the UFC. Photo: Disclosure
However, Thomaz took advantage of the controversy involving Eduardo Herdy at UFC Fight Night 62 to question the work of the organization as a whole. “The MMA collective and the specialized media reported that the Brazilian Commission has been making mistakes in many events. This questions criteria for choice, training, preparation and also participation. And nowadays nothing is hidden. Communication is global, immediate, instantaneous and severe in judgment of values. They asked about the famous meritocracy… Would the best and best-prepared referees in Brazil be in the UFC? Was the biggest galactic event counting on the best?”, said the veteran.
For Robertão, a well-trained referee needs to have a structure around him, and the participation of a “master” is also essential, as is the case with fighters.
“I trained few referees because I supervise my referees and share with them all the events I go to. We do briefing before each fight and, after the events, we meet to discuss the case. I follow each person's career. I don't believe in referees without masters. To this day I send videos to my friend and brother, my master Flávio Almendra, to help me, and he does the same. We criticize ourselves to improve. We then have our quality control. I've never had a fight with an altered result and I didn't get involved in controversies”, he is proud.
Precisely because of the confidence he has in his work, Thomaz still dreams of one day receiving the opportunity to referee in Ultimate. “I am a determined man of faith. It may take a while, as it already has, but someone will someday see that I could bring my joy, my happiness, passion and style. I know that I will referee the UFC, because I know that the biggest and best event deserves professional excellence from a Robertão, an Almendra, from our Brazilian team. I know that meritocracy will get Mr. Dana [White, UFC president] and the Fertitta brothers. I love refereeing in small events, where I discover new talents, in 'cauldron' type events, with fans on the grid… And, if I don't shake at those, I won't shake at the UFC [laughs]. I'm known for my straight talk and I don't pull anyone's rug out. What I say, I hold my own. I don't want to referee in the UFC to the detriment of Mr. Yamasaki. He can stay there. There are many fights, but I only need one. And my dream as a referee will be fulfilled,” he declared.
Another experienced referee, Almendra criticizes CABMMA: 'They are building the house through the roof'
Flavio Almendra has been a professional MMA referee since 1997. Photo: Disclosure/Circuito Talent
Like Robertão, Flávio Almendra is one of the most experienced referees on the national MMA scene. In the role since 1997, the Rio native has already had the opportunity to referee in the country's main events, such as Jungle Fight, Shooto and Mecca. His prestige in the industry is noted with the various awards he has already received, as well as an unusual invitation: he works as a consultant for the soap opera Malhação, on TV Globo, which uses the theme of fights in its plot.
With such a rich resume, it's surprising that Almendra has never worked in a single UFC event in Brazil, when other referees with much less experience have already had the chance. In an interview with SUPER FIGHTS, he himself explains why. “Maybe it’s [because of] the person who is choosing. It's everyone's discretion. I thought it was something that would happen naturally, but I don't know how it didn't happen. It’s the criteria of whoever chooses,” he insisted.
“We have excellent referees in Brazil. I would say that we have the best referees in the world compared to any other universe, like the United States. We have excellent referees working in several other events who are not appearing, and I could mention them by tomorrow. And the opportunity is not given. I don't know what CABMMA's guidelines are, but I know they don't want me there. It was an impression I had”, continued the carioca.
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Almendra also questions the work done by the Brazilian entity and highlights that, in his opinion, it has not shown concern in working on the basis of sport in the country. “Like other entities, CABMMA is starting with the roof. And this makes the construction unsafe. In any sport that is strong today, it started as an amateur. You only form good athletes, referees and coaches by working at the grassroots level. As for referee training, a good course I took lasted 20 weeks. When it's just a weekend, it's a seminar. I refuse to teach a course today because there is nowhere to work right after. There are no events. If this existed, I would teach courses with a vengeance,” she said.
basic requirements
Foreigner Marc Goddard was the CABMMA referee in the fight between Aldo and Mendes in Rio, in 2014. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
All UFC events that are held in Brazilian territory are inspected by CABMMA. According to documents available on the entity's official website, the referee who seeks to act in CABMMA attractions must have “some certification recognized by the entity”.
CABMMA recognizes two certificates. The first of them is that of Mario Yamasaki, a UFC veteran who also holds the position of arbitration director for the commission. The seminars do not have a determined frequency, but the next course to be offered will be between the 29th and 30th of November, in Rio de Janeiro. Lasting 16 hours and costing R$1399, the course has written and practical tests and aims to teach “everything you need to enter national and international MMA events”.
The other is that of Herb Dean, an American referee who frequently acts in the main UFC fights. The course, held in the United States, follows a similar format, spanning two days, but lasting 24 hours (i.e., 12 per day). The cost is US$1200 and it is recommended that the participant “show knowledge of MMA techniques”.
However, possession of the certificate is not a guarantee that the applicant will automatically become part of the CABMMA's body of referees. According to the entity, the candidate still needs to be “selected to join the ranks of officers”.
Director of CABMMA, Yamasaki admits: 'Structure is still precarious'
Mario Yamasaki is the arbitration director at CABMMA
According to Mario Yamasaki, director of arbitration at CABMMA, the ideal path to be followed by those who intend to mediate a UFC fight in Brazil begins with acquiring experience in smaller events. However, he admits that the referee training structure as a whole still leaves something to be desired.
“The structure is still somewhat precarious, as there is a lack of events that follow the same protocols as CABMMA. It is difficult to prepare and analyze someone in a two-day course and then throw them into the middle of an event to be tested. The courses are excellent and easily accessible, but people have to understand that there is no point in being a black belt and thinking you know everything. MMA has evolved a lot since the old free-for-all, and today we have more security for athletes. The important thing is to invest in the profession, work as much as possible in smaller events, take refresher courses whenever possible”, explained Yamasaki, in an interview with SUPER FIGHTS.
The director of CABMMA explains that, after the experience gained in regional events, the next step is to closely monitor the routine of a referee in all activities carried out at a UFC event, which is called “shadowing”. According to Yamasaki, the practice helps the candidate to “become familiar with the structure and how to behave” in an event as big as the UFC.
Camila Albuquerque was a “shadow” at UFC Uberlândia before debuting in the Octagon. Photo: Inovafoto
Even so, Yamasaki recognizes that there are competent referees in addition to those who have all the prerequisites to work in Ultimate, but he sees a factor that gets in the way. “Until they get up to date with international refereeing and how to behave, it will be difficult for them to referee in a UFC. The ego in Brazil is stronger than learning, and they think that taking a course or retraining would be denigrating their skills. This is different from 'gringo' thinking – for them, the more courses and clinics they take, the better. But one day that changes,” he assessed.
Yamasaki sees that the entire episode involving Herdy at UFC FN 62, which culminated in the reversal of the result of Dober x Buscapé to no-contest, was not harmful to CABMMA’s image – on the contrary, it strengthens the entity’s credibility.
“Herdy himself recognized the error and reversed his decision. I thought it was an act of honor. The important thing is to accept this head on, and I think we all respect the seriousness of the CABMMA members more. [Now] What could happen is that he referees more in national events until he feels firm again to enter the biggest event on the planet”, he commented.
The veteran referee goes further: for him, Herdy should be the referee responsible for mediating a rematch between Dober and Buscapé, if it actually happens one day. But, as he explained, the selection of referees for each UFC fight in Brazil does not depend on him, but rather on a choice made by the CABMMA operation itself, based on the moment in which the referee lives to the magnitude of the fights in question.
At the beginning of 2015, CABMMA has nine affiliated referees: Mário Yamasaki, Fernando Yamasaki, Eduardo Herdy, Wernei Cardoso, Osiris Maia, Camila Albuquerque, Fernando Portella, João Cláudio Soares and Leonardo Chebar. Of these, only Mário, Camila, Fernando, Osiris and Herdy performed at UFC events in Brazil this year, in addition to foreigners “Big” John McCarthy, Leon Roberts and Kevin MacDonald. These, as they are licensed by renowned commissions in the United States, automatically end up also qualifying to work in Brazil.
Next Saturday, the 13 fights of UFC 190, headlined by Ronda Rousey against Bethe Correia, will answer whether the arbitration has learned from recent mistakes or whether new controversies will appear. To be seen.
Stay tuned this Friday for the second part of the special about CABMMA produced by SUPER FIGHTS!
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