Max Rohskopf’s corner with could find themselves in trouble following the controversial end to his UFC fight against Austin Hubbard on Saturday.
It was the 25-year-old’s debut and he entered the Las Vegas fight – on five days notice – with a 5-0 record.
However, he repeatedly told his chief cornerman, Robert Drysdale, to end the fight going into the third and final round.
“I don’t want to do this any more,” Rohskopf could be heard saying.
“No, we got this,” Drysdale pleaded.
“You’re a champion. You’re a f***ing champion … Get on top of him and outwrestle him.”
Despite his attempts, the coach was told ‘I don’t have it’.
Nevada State Athletic Commission inspector Charvez Foger eventually called it off.
“That’s something we will take a look at,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told ESPN on Saturday night.
“We might want to take disciplinary action on them. That doesn’t sound like they are looking out for a fighter. Obviously, he didn’t want to come out [and fight].”
Drysdale, though, said he stands by what he did.
“I expect excellence from the people I train because I love them. He wasn’t seriously hurt, and I felt he needed a mental push. I would expect the same from my coach.
“We will be back. Max is a champion.”
He also explained that Rohskopf isn’t someone who needs to be pushed.
“Which is why I was pushing him,” he explained. “That is the job of a coach, to push their fighters physically, technically and mentally. I did my job, and I have no regrets because I believe Max has potential to be one of the greats.”
Rohskopf didn’t speak after the fight, but his manager Brian Butler said fatigue didn’t help the fighter, neither did a pre-existing turf toe injury.
“He is going to take some time to heal up,” he said.
Watching the fight for ESPN, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping feels Rohskopf may be disappointed when he watches it back.
“I’ll be hard on coaches and tell them to not try and get fighters to continue when they don’t want to, but it wasn’t like he got blitzed constantly for five minutes.
“Yes, he took some damage and of course he was tired, but I agree with the coach, who was trying to get him to fight and not give up mentally.
“I believe Max, when he watches that back, will be disappointed with himself and I say that with respect because being in the octagon and running out of steam is the loneliest place in the world.
“There’s just you, your opponent and the ref and if you’re out of steam, it’s the worst.”
UFC president Dana White later told the post fight press conference the UFC is a completely different level to other promotions around the world.
“If that kid felt like he needed to quit tonight, who the f*** is anybody to judge him on that?”
UFC results
Main card
Curtis Blaydes def. Alexander Volkov via unanimous decision
Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos via unanimous decision
Raquel Pennington def. Marion Reneau via unanimous decision
elal Muhammad def. Lyman Good via unanimous decision
Jim Miller def. Roosevelt Roberts via submission (R1)
Preliminary card
Bobby Green def. Clay Guida via unanimous decision
Tecia Torres def. Brianna Van Buren via unanimous decision
Marc-Andre Barriault def. Oskar Piechota via second-round TKO
Gillian Robertson def. Cortney Casey via submission (R3)
Justin Jaynes def. Frank Camacho via first-round TKO
Lauren Murphy def. Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision
Austin Hubbard def. Max Rohskopf via second-round TKO
