Kevin Holland is sick and tired of UFC fighters crying about referees after a loss.
Poor refereeing has been a problem in the UFC for years. At this point, you’re expected to land a few eye pokes and low kicks per fight before a point is deducted. Grab the cage? Let go. Hooking an opponent’s gloves or pulling up their shorts may earn you a slap. Get punched in the back of the head? It’s really your fault for moving.
We know the refs are crap, we know the rules aren’t enforced, and we know things don’t change. According to Holland, fighters need to accept the current reality instead of endlessly complaining about it.
“I think we all think about it (Alex) Pereira’s situation,” Holland said in a recent interview MMA fight. “I remember Jamahal (Hill) crying about (Herb Dean) stepping in between them (at UFC 300) and not giving them a proper reset. Nobody said anything about it. I think it’s the same.”
Holland has had issues with Herb Dean, who he says didn’t stop any of the shorts grabbing that Khamzat Chimaev did during their fight.
“We all know what we’re going in there to do,” he continued. “And they’re there to protect us and sometimes they can fully protect us and sometimes they can’t. At the end of the day, before the fight starts, they say, ‘Always protect yourself,’ and we have to protect ourselves. That’s part of the game.”
“This is what we signed up for … Win, lose or draw, that’s what you signed up for. So just take what you can get.”
Holland said the fighters were setting a bad example by leaving responsibility for their losses to the officials.
“I have two sons, I don’t have two daughters,” he said. “I don’t want my sons to grow up thinking it’s okay to cry and complain and complain about things. There’s no reason to cry and complain. Do better next time and figure it out. Be prepared.”
In the past, apologies after a loss were frowned upon, but today we are seeing more and more fighters who tend to blame the referees for their losses. Is it because cheating is became so endemic, or is it because the latest crop of athletes can’t handle defeat with grace? We’ll leave it up to you.
