“Frowned upon in MMA” - Top UFC heavyweight calls out corners for not throwing in the towel when fighters are taking damage
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall has questioned why MMA doesn’t have nearly as many corner stoppages compared to boxing.
Over the past few decades, boxing has normalized the act of cornermen protecting their fighter by throwing in a white towel as a sign of surrender. Meanwhile, MMA rarely uses these tactics, leading to some fighters taking excessive damage without a clear path to victory.
Aspinall, the number four-ranked UFC heavyweight, addressed the lack of corner stoppages in MMA by saying this on Twitter:
“Why do MMA corners very rarely throw the towel in or pull out fighters in between rounds? Seems way more common in boxing and almost frowned upon in MMA.”
Earlier this year, there were two primary examples of UFC fights where a corner stoppage was arguably justifiable.
At UFC 283, Lauren Murphy absorbed an overwhelming amount of damage in a unanimous decision loss against Jessica Andrade. In the aftermath of the event, fans criticized Murphy’s corner for not throwing in the towel.
On June 24, Josh Emmett lost a unanimous decision against Ilia Topuria in the UFC on ABC 5 main event. Emmett took a beating on his way to lopsided scorecards of 50-44, 50-42 and 49-45. Most fans believe the fight should have been stopped after the third round.
Fans react to UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall questioning why MMA doesn’t have more corner stoppages
There are plenty of possible reasons why MMA features fewer corner stoppages than boxing. With that said, the objective for cornermen is to protect their fighter while attempting to secure a win.
Once Tom Aspinall shared his opinion on Twitter, the comment section was filled with fans providing their reasoning, including the following people saying:
“Because fighters would be pissed”
“Tough man mindset and the idea that the win is always possible.”
“win bonus. Corners can make potentially double their wage on the dime of their fighter's health”
“A boxer gets opportunities to recover after a knockdown and keep going with standing 8 counts. The corner has to protect their fighter when the boxer doesn't. In MMA once you're knocked down, it's usually over. No chance to recover with a standing 8 count to go get hurt more.”
“More ways to get the surprise win in MMA with mixing up the approach. If you're getting outboxed you're unlikely to just randomly change the course of the fight and begin to outbox your opponent. But you can change the dynamic of an MMA fight drastically in an instant”
After 16 fights as a professional MMA fighter, Tom Aspinall has yet to lose by corner stoppage. The 30-year-old holds an overall record of 13-3, with a 6-1 record in the Octagon. He last fought on July 22, defeating Marcin Tybura with a first-round knockout nearly a year after suffering a severe knee injury.
