One of the crucial influential athletic fee administrators is on Jon Jones’ aspect.
At UFC Edmonton this previous weekend, the MMA recreation modified as the brand new unified guidelines went into impact for the primary time. These guidelines up to date the “grounded opponent” rule and in addition eliminated the beforehand banned “12 to six elbow” from the checklist of fouls. The small however vital modifications are positive to impression the way in which fights unfold sooner or later, however it’s doable that one consequence from the previous is also altered: Jon Jones’ loss to Matt Hamill.
At The Final Fighter 10 Finale again in 2009, Jones suffered the one lack of his profession so far when he was disqualified by referee Steve Mazzagatti for unlawful 12 to six elbows after Hamill was unable to proceed. Following the announcement of the brand new guidelines, Jones made his case for overturning the consequence so he can have an undefeated report. And California State Athletic Fee Director Andy Foster agrees.
“The rule is what it was then. It’s totally different now,” Foster advised Ariel Helwani on Tuesday. “It will be laborious to return. I’d be really supportive of eliminating that, however it’s not my resolution. However I feel it’s laborious to return with the rule being totally different than it’s now.
“Yeah, [the result changed] to a no-contest,” Foster continued when requested. “ … I didn’t like the way in which it was enforced again then, however that’s 14 years in the past. … We’re speaking about 14 years later. On the time I believed there have been different ways in which you would possibly might deal with that scenario different than simply flat giving the man a loss.”
On the time, Mazzagatti’s resolution was extraordinarily controversial as Jones was dominating the combat and Hamill was practically out earlier than the unlawful blows occurred. And Foster agrees that Mazzagatti might have accomplished otherwise.
“Disqualification needs to be the final resort a referee goes to,” Foster stated. “That needs to be after you’ve used all of the instruments in your toolbox. We prepare these guys and we educate them, I do know John McCarthy and the remainder of the blokes do, you’ve received loads of issues you may go to, loads of issues you may take a look at. Let’s try this earlier than we disqualify individuals.
“Herb Dean might be the gold normal of refereeing on the planet proper now. You’ll see him and he’ll methodically undergo all the pieces earlier than — I don’t know if I’ve seen Herb disqualify any person. … He’s superb at going by loads of various things earlier than you ever get to that.”
Sadly for Jones, Foster isn’t the one he has to persuade becuase the combat occurred in Las Vegas. And although Jones has loads of help on this situation, even from some unlikely sources, in the intervening time it appears seemingly that as a substitute this incident will stay on within the lore of MMA: the one time Jones ever misplaced.
