A UFC fighter who was soundly beaten in the first two rounds of a fight Saturday night in Las Vegas repeatedly asked his handlers to stop the bout, For the Win reported. His handlers refused, sending him back into the ring. (See the video below.)
In disturbing footage posted by ESPN, Max Rohskopf can be heard telling corner person Robert Drysdale to “call it” about 10 times during the one-minute rest before the third and final round.
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” Rohskopf says. “I don’t have it.”
“Stop it, you’re a fucking champion,” Drysdale countered at one point. He then sent him back into the ring with a directive to “outwrestle” opponent Austin Hubbard.
Finally, Rohskopf quit on his own after officials, noticing his hesitation, asked directly if he wanted to continue.
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett told ESPN the group is considering “disciplinary action” against Rohskopf’s handlers.
“That doesn’t sound like they are looking out for a fighter,” Bennett said. “Obviously, he didn’t want to come out” and resume the fight.
Drysdale defended his handling of the situation.
“I stand by what I did,” Drysdale told ESPN. “I expect excellence from the people I train because I love them. He wasn’t seriously hurt, and I felt he needed a mental push. I would expect the same from my coach.”
Rohskopf, who had a 5-0 MMA record before taking Saturday’s fight on short notice, was losing decisively on the judges’ scorecards, the sports network noted.
“I could tell he was broken,” Hubbard told MMA Junkie.
