Max Rohskopf is sticking up for his team after his UFC on ESPN 11 defeat.
Rohskopf’s coach, Robert Drysdale, has come under fire for his corner advice this past Saturday night (June 20). Once Rohskopf got back to his corner following a dismal second round, he told Drysdale that he’s done. Drysdale didn’t throw in the towel and instead tried to motivate his fighter to return to the action. Referee Mark Smith noticed the conversation and asked Rohskopf if he wanted to continue. The fighter once again said he wanted out and the fight was waved off.
Max Rohskopf Sticks Up For His Corner
Rohskopf sent a short text message to The Body Lock to address all the hoopla. He made it clear that he’s sticking up for his coaches.
“I don’t have anything to say except that all the decisions up to this point right and wrong have been mine and mine only. My manager and coaches did nothing but listen to me and do everything I’ve asked,” Rohskopf told The Body Lock in a text message.
Drysdale responded to his critics in a statement released on Instagram. Drysdale explained that he felt Rohskopf wasn’t in significant danger. The head coach said that Rohskopf was simply frustrated. Drysdale insisted that had his fighter been in any real danger, he wouldn’t have hesitated to stop the fight.
In MMA, it’s rare to see corners throwing in the towel. Renowned MMA coach Trevor Wittman has stopped bouts when he feels his fighter can no longer go. He did this for Nate Marquardt after “The Great” said he had nothing left in his bout with Kelvin Gastelum.
Others such as Marc Montoya have been criticized for not recognizing when it’s time to pull a fighter from the action. Montoya was slammed by fans and media members for not throwing in the towel for Anthony Smith when he took a beating from Glover Teixeira. Smith later said he never looked for a way out and claimed he has a rule where none of his cornermen can stop his fights.
