CABMMA ‘Cannot Change The Result’ Of Controversial Drew Dober Stoppage

Many MMA fans and media are still up in arms about the extremely controversial stoppage of Drew Dober at last weekend’s (Sat., March 21, 2015) UFC Fight Night 62 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who lost when he supposedly ‘passed out’ in a non-threatening guillotine from Leandro Silva’s half guard.

Perhaps none were more angered than UFC President Dana White, who deemed the stoppage ‘one of the worst referee screw-ups in MMA history’ while hoping that the Brazilian Athletic Commission MMA (CABMMA) would do the right thing and change the fight to a no contest.

But White was pessimistic about the possibility of that actually happening, as he knows that athletic commissions are highly reluctant to admit wrongdoing and change a fight’s results.

And today (Mon., March 23, 2015) it appears that White’s assumption was rather spot-on.

A report has surfaced from Combate containing an interview with CABMMA director Cristiano Sampaio, who clarified that the result of the bout would most likely stand.

“You cannot change the result. There are three cases in which the result can change: the first is the sum of error of judges giving different result. Second case is collusion when there is bad faith among judges, no matter what the result, as have a pre-set from the judges. This is more something that happens out there for betting exchanges account. The third is failure in the interpretation of the referee that generates a different result than was to have been. Has the right and indeed error. There was error of fact. The error of law when there is this failure in interpreting the law. It was a rule of interpretation failure.

We have to review the fight, the referee’s position, which the body signals that the athlete had, indicating that was passed out or well, some factors that have to be analyzed. But it was not an error of law, had nothing to do with rule of interpretation. Today, the standard of athletic commission protocol worldwide, there is no way to change this result. The international standard of athletic commission there is no way to reverse this case. But we have to sit down, discuss and review. Rule is one thing, his performance is another. Are distinct. A mistake of fact is, another law. Law would be the rule. But the fact that error was the situation there. Does not fit in this case, then the trend is that Leandro Buscapé victory is maintained”

A disappointing result to be sure, but not one that was altogether unexpected.

The scenario has been amplified by reports that referee in question Eduardo Herdy is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner who actually trains at the same gym as Leandro Silva.

If that is indeed the case, then CABMMA had no place to book him in such a compromising spot of refereeing his training partner’s fight, and the controversial nature of the stoppage could definitely suggest he was looking for any reason to stop the bout in his friend’s favor.

It seems rather transparent that something should be done about the phantom tapout, but at this point, it doesn’t seem like CABMMA cares too much. If instances like this are continually allowed too pass, however, the backlash over MMA officiating is only going to be fueled further.

Photo Credit: Jason da Silva – USA TODAY Sports