5 times a UFC fighter was let down by their corner
Fighting in the UFC is undoubtedly a highly dangerous pastime. While only a handful of fighters have suffered serious injuries inside the octagon, it’s a possibility that's there in every fight.
Due to the kind of risks involved, it’s paramount UFC’s fighters trust the coaches in their corner completely. At times, the fighters find themselves let down, though.
Anyone who coaches a UFC fighter probably has their pupil’s best interests at heart. However, at times, it feels like safety is the last thing on the mind of a corner.
Benoit Saint Denis showcasing some true toughness, my goodness! 😤
[ #UFC267 | The prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] https://t.co/ZOPjxmD5mD
When you consider that a UFC fight can end at any time, this almost makes sense, but it can also be detrimental to a fighter’s overall health. On that note, here are five times when a UFC fighter was let down by their corner.
#5. Benoit St. Denis vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos – UFC 267
The most recent example of a corner letting a fighter down in the UFC came this weekend at UFC 267.
Newcomer Benoit St. Denis already had his hands full with a tough opponent in Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. However, the Frenchman probably wasn’t aware of quite how bad things could get for him.
‘Capoeira’ clearly won the first round of the clash, but at that stage St. Denis was at least hanging in there. That changed in the second round, when he found himself wobbling around the octagon, eating what seemed like an endless amount of brutal strikes.
Inexperienced referee Vyacheslav Kiselev somehow decided to let the fight continue, despite St. Denis taking an inhuman amount of punishment. However, it seemed highly likely the debutant’s corner would throw in the towel between rounds.
Incredibly, though, they allowed their fighter to head back out, where he took even more punishment. Even when the fight was momentarily paused due to an eye poke, St. Denis’ corner simply let him recover and continue despite the fact that he clearly had no chance of winning the clash.
In the end, the newcomer ended the fight practically running away from the Brazilian, and unsurprisingly lost a decision. The aftermath of this unfortunate fight saw plenty of criticism for Kiselev, but St. Denis’ corner was equally culpable.
UFC has pulled referee Vyacheslav Kiselev from his other #UFC267 assignments due to his performance during the Zaleski dos Santos-Saint Denis fight. https://t.co/lt04N8b6ax
Quite why they didn’t simply end the fight after that horrific second round is anyone’s guess.