UFC debutant Max Rohskopf had a tough outing in his UFC appearance. He dropped to the first loss on his record at UFC on ESPN 11. The 25-year-old entered into the UFC and squared off against 12-4 Austin Hubbard. MMA critics called the match-up to be a tough draw in his first outing, and it unfolded in a manner rarely seen in MMA.
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Following the end of the second round, Max Rohskopf elected to call it quits and not answer the call for the final round. The camera caught his interactions with the coach as the fighter expressed his desire to end the fight. However, in light of the empty Apex facility, every interaction between fighter, coach, and referee is easily audible.
This occurrence is definitely uncommon in this business. In a gritty sport like MMA, fights usually end through a violent finish or at the behest of the judges. Chiefly corner intervention is quite uncommon and observed mostly in boxing, if at all. Hearing a fighter unwilling to continue participating in about firsthand is a reminder of the brutal nature of the sport.
UFC newcomer Max Rohskopf throws in the towel.
Inside the corner of Max Rohskopf before the fight is called off at #UFCVegas3 pic.twitter.com/hZrfnaMObt
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 20, 2020
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Additionally, his coach was vehemently trying to encourage the fighter to continue participating in the bout.
The significant experience disparity between the two fighters could have contributed to Rohskopf’s downfall in the fight. The Zenith MMA fighter came into the promotion with a 6-0 record, not to mention he had only one recorded amateur fight under his belt.
Moreover, Austin ‘Thud’ Hubbard has gone 2-2 in his UFC tenure with many of his 12 wins coming in other promotions. The occurrence opens the door to discussions as to the root cause of this rare event in MMA.
Was it perhaps a matchmaking blunder or something not as straight forward? The MMA community is sure to weigh in on the matter.
