Opinion: Does unsportsmanlike conduct exist in MMA?
In a sport where fighting is the main objective, does obscene conduct really matter?
Sports are emotional, for both the athletes and the fans. Bodies are pushed to their limits, tensions are high and so much is on the line.
In MMA, it’s up to the referee to settle things down if both fighters are getting too crazy. The awkward thing about MMA is that fighters don’t take out their aggression like other athletes do. In other sports, emotional confrontations end in fights. In MMA, well, you’re already in a fight.
Case and point, the lead photo in this article. A seemingly angry Felice Herrig flips off Cortney Casey in the middle of their fight at UFC 218. What prompted Herrig to flip Casey off? Casey flinging a “bloody booger” in Herrig’s direction.
Seriously.
“She got a little upset because I hit her with a shot. I saw it on her face. She flicked a booger at me. It was great. It was a big chunk of blood that Cortney flicked at me. It might have hit me, it might have landed on me.” Herrig said with a laugh after the fight.
First off, that’s nasty. Although, if you had to mix two bodily fluids together and have the nasty concoction thrown at you, a bloody booger isn’t a bad option.
Secondly, shouldn’t that be illegal? I would assume that throwing bodily fluids at your opponent would fall under unsportsmanlike conduct.
Referee Bobby Wombacher (wow what a great name) looked like he thought about stepping in. Like most people watching the fight, he might have just wanted it to end sooner than later.
If there was ever a time to deduct a point from a fighter for “unsportsmanlike conduct”, that would have been the one. This begs the question, what is unsportsmanlike conduct in MMA?
According to the Unified Rules of MMA, there are two rules pertaining to unsportsmanlike conduct.
Fouls:
21. Using abusive language in fenced ring/fighting area
22. Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes injury to an opponent
Let’s all just take a minute to laugh at the first rule listed. Abusive language has practically never been penalized in a fight. I do remember a Diaz brother being warned once, but I’ve never seen a point deduction.
The second foul listed there is a little puzzling. What could count as unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury, but isn’t already listed as a foul? A wedgie? Everything you could possibly consider is already specifically mentioned in the rules.
So it seems like Casey’s bloody booger throwing was technically legal. Flipping off Herrig might have fallen into the abusive language category, if you’re counting sign language.
In the end though, do we really care? Herrig didn’t.
“I’m not really mad about it. I think most people would be mad and think it’s disrespectful. We were in the heat of the moment, we were both cussing at each other.”
In a fist-fight, name calling and obsene gestures seem like step down on the latter of aggression. There aren’t many rungs above trying to concuss someone with your hands and legs.
Just next time Cortney Casey, keep the bloody boogers to yourself.