MMA fights are undeniably one of the most brutal sports, with fighters putting their lives on the line in pursuit of their passion. And due to the unpredictability of the sport, one can never foresee what their next fight can bring, and unfortunate incidents have taken place in promotions like UFC, Bellator, and others, where fighters have incurred life-threatening injuries. To avoid any major mishaps from occurring during fights, the referee carries a significant responsibility, given that if they fail to make the right calls at the right time, that can put one at the receiving end of a career-ending injury, and things could get worse from there on.
This was the case recently at Fury FC 76 during the matchup between former Dana White Contender Series fighter Edgar Chairez and Gianni Vazquez. In the fourth round, Chairez locked up a tight triangle choke on Vasquez, and subsequently, Vazquez went unconscious while locked in the choke. However, the referee Frank Collazo missed it. And in the same round, Chairez transitioned the choke to an armbar, holding it until Vazquez got his consciousness back and tapped out.
MMA reporter Alex Behunin took to Twitter and updated fans about the incident. He wrote, “Fire and exile this f***ing incompetent bum referee”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Fire and exile this fucking incompetent bum referee
pic.twitter.com/tPiBipEQpr— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) March 25, 2023
Unfortunately, this caused Gianni Vazquez to suffer severe damage and get rushed to the emergency room. Behunin further put out a follow-up tweet, updating the fans on Vazquez’s situation and it was terrible.
A little update:
Gianni Vazquez was rushed to the ER after his fight and he can’t move his arm.
He hasn’t seen the doctor yet but at best it’s a severe arm dislocation
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) March 25, 2023
He wrote, “A little update: Gianni Vazquez was rushed to the ER after his fight and he can’t move his arm. He hasn’t seen the doctor yet but at best it’s a severe arm dislocation”.
Upon witnessing this, the fight fans on Twitter went nuts over the happening and hurled severe criticism at referee Frank Collazo.
MMA fans lose their cool at referee Frank Collazo
Check out how the fight fans reacted to this horrifying incident from the fight between Edgar Chairez and Gianni Vazquez:
WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK. Never let that man be near any competition setting again 😡
— Jeff Molina (@jmolina_125) March 25, 2023
Dude thats worst stoppage I’ve probably ever seen live
Pure incompetence
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) March 25, 2023
People weren’t happy about the incident.
Fuckin crime ! I hope someone fucked him up there . Unbelievable
— Guilherme (@BombaTUF) March 25, 2023
Many were horrified by it.
Man, I've seen some horrific stoppages, but this might be the worst one
— Thomas Grape (@grapethomas7) March 25, 2023
Wow. This is truly the benchmark for worst referee ever.
— TacticalDadYT (@bosox_730) March 25, 2023
A person felt it was a big negligence.
A severe case of negligence. Why do some of these refs act like it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a fight? So many wtf’s just happened 😧 https://t.co/rv9cN2AHvr
— Cheryl McEwan (@Cherylmcewan191) March 25, 2023
Dude woke back up because his arm broke. Geeze. That is horrible.
— jacob everett wallace (@jacobeverett) March 25, 2023
— Dan (@danDaMMAman) March 25, 2023
HORRIBLE! He should be tried in court.
— Melodic Trader (@MelodicTrader) March 25, 2023
And people wanna talk shit on @HerbDeanMMA
— Joey2cents (@Isolate_19) March 25, 2023
Nah he went out twice and probably broke his arm. That's borderline criminal charges for the ref https://t.co/mwQzXNPgCw
— Matt N (@nut00003) March 25, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
This incident highlights the sensitivity of a referee’s job and the risks involved in MMA fights, where the line between victory and disaster can be very thin.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In this instance, the commentators were audibly shouting that Gianni Vazquez was out and unconscious. The fight fans find it incomprehensible as to why the referee didn’t stop the fight. Because, if he did so, it might have spared the combatant from suffering a serious injury and himself from the retaliation.
Watch this story: 5 Worst Injuries In The UFC