UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping have shared the same sentiment surrounding the decision to allow Renato Moicano to keep fighting at UFC 272.
After the late withdrawal of Rafael Fiziev, Moicano stepped up on just five days' notice to meet compatriot dos Anjos in the co-main event of the March 5 pay-per-view.
While he left the Octagon after 25 minutes with the respect and admiration of the masses, he also exited having suffered a loss and an immense amount of damage in the process; an unnecessary level of damage, according to many.
While Moicano showed gratitude to the doctor for not stopping the fight, claiming he wouldn't have known what he was made of had the clash been ended early, the victorious dos Anjos shared a different view.
During a post-fight appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the former UFC lightweight champion revealed his frustration at the hesitancy for MMA corners to throw in the towel.
“It drives me nuts because I see guys in boxing, all the time people throw the towel, stop the fight, and we don’t see that in MMA,” dos Anjos said.
“I think because of the small gloves, coaches think, ‘He’s gonna get a lucky punch and finish the fight,’ but I think we should see that more. I think coaches should be more aware, to know their fighters," he added. "They’re not reacting, they’re not connecting anything that really hurts the other guy, so let’s stop it because you’re killing your fighter. I think that’s something that the coaches in MMA should be more aware of.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
Unsurprisingly, RDA is not alone with that opinion.
Bisping Backs RDA's Take
Former UFC middleweight champion Bisping, who was on commentary duty at UFC 272 and had a front-row seat for dos Anjos vs. Moicano, admitted his concern at the damage that the younger Brazilian was taking inside Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena during a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel.
"That fight should have been stopped. It's as simple as that," Bisping asserted. "It was, not one-way traffic, but it was three layers of traffic going (towards Moicano), and one lane of traffic (coming back)... After three rounds, his eye was absolutely messed up. It actually gave me cause for concern... When I was looking at the state of Moicano's eye, I was like, 'Well, this is done. It's over.' And to be honest, the offense he was giving back, dos Anjos was never in any danger."
Like RDA, "The Count" believes the ATT coaches in Moicano's corner should have undoubtedly put a stop to the beating themselves by throwing in the towel. He suggested they should have been "man enough" to prevent their man from sustaining any more damage.
"The corner should have threw in the towel. Because right there at the end of the third round, well he can't possibly win on points, that's for sure," said Bisping. "He hasn't got the power, and the pop and snap in his punches, to finish him right now, and he's not gonna submit Rafael dos Anjos... Cornermen need to throw the towel in. The referee let it go, the doctor let it go; the corner should have (stopped it)... They've gotta be man enough to say. 'You know what? I'm gonna save you from any further damage.'
"This is somebody's life we're talking about. This is somebody's long-term health, and their fight career," the Englishman added. "When you go through that kind of fight, never mind the physical damage, never mind your eyes and the cuts and the nose and the bones and everything that might be broken, the psychological trauma—you might never be the same again."
But despite believing the fight shouldn't have seen a fourth or fifth frame, Bisping praised the way veteran referee Marc Goddard handled the contest. He also admitted that in his fighting days, he'd have loved the lenient attitude of the cage-side doctor.
"Marc Goddard, the referee, I thought did a great job. He brought in the doctor on two occasions. That doctor's a savage. I love it. If I'm fighting, I always said to the referee when they would come into my room beforehand, I would always say, 'Hey, listen ref, do not stop this fight...' But that fight should have been stopped in round three. It was done."
Bisping went on to suggest that athletic commissions need to send a mass memo to teams and coaches, advising them to have more "compassion" for their fighters and more of a "practical" outlook when it comes to stopping fights.
Given his positive post-fight attitude, it appears Moicano has taken the defeat well and remains in good spirits despite the brutal beating. When he returns to the Octagon, we'll be able to see whether the damage has had an effect on his future performances inside the cage.
Do you agree with Michael Bisping and RDA? Should Renato Moicano's corner have thrown in the towel during the UFC 272 co-main event?