Shayna Baszler hits out at UFC 250 main event refereeing criticism
In a recent tweet former UFC fighter and current WWE Superstar, Shayna Baszler hit out at critics of the UFC 250 main event refereeing. The fight came under scrutiny because the referee Herb Dean allowed the match to continue despite it being a fairly one-sided beatdown.
Shayna Baszler took to twitter to express her thoughts on the criticism and said,
"There has been FAR greater damage dealt in fights and no one called for a stoppage. Relax. Just admit that GIRLS taking damage is what bothers you".
Shayna Baszler, a former The Ultimate Fighter contestant, widely regarded as a pioneer of MMA. She has been one of the driving forces for mainstream acceptance of women MMA today and even famously convinced Rep. Steve Hickey, who served three terms in the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 9, that MMA wasn't something horrible.
Shayna Baszler hits out at critics
Shayna Baszler inferred that most male fights are allowed to continue despite suffering way more damage and are even praised for it. She even compared the fight to Robbie Lawler and McDonald's bout and pointed out that it is considered as one of the greatest of all time.
Shayna Baszler was also called out by some fans stating that the fight refereeing was being criticized not because it was women who were competing but because the fight had become way too one-sided. She responded by saying,
"You don’t quit simply because you are “losing by a lot.” She still had her wits. A submission can happen at any moment. No matter how one sided. See Kay Hansen vs Sharon Jacobson."
What Shayna Baszler is saying today has been pointed out time and again by many. However, is the argument fair? At one point in the round, Herb Dean asked Felecia Spencer's corner doctor to check on her.
A very recent case of referees not knowing when to stop was also seen in an MMA fight when Anthony Smith's bout wasn't halted despite him suffering a pretty one-sided vicious beatdown at the hands of Glover Teixeira. The fight should have been stopped but it wasn't. Maybe it is time the MMA world has a conversation on when it is appropriate for corners to stop a match so that much damage can be prevented.