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A UFC coach ignored his fighter’s pleas to stop the action on Saturday night. Lightweight Max Rohskopf was making his promotional debut after just five total professional fights on the UFC Fight Night card at UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. But after a strong start in the bout, the 25-year-old withered under his opponent’s brutal strikes and couldn’t bring himself to return to the action after the second round.
Despite the bloodied and beaten Rohskopf being outlanded 58-17 in significant strikes, Rohskopf’s coach still refused to ask the referee to stop the fight.
You can watch Rohskopf’s MMA coach Robert Drysdale attempt to get his fighter back into the center of the Octagon no matter how many times Rohskopf says he doesn’t want to do it in the short video clip below.
Inside the corner of Max Rohskopf before the fight is called off at #UFCVegas3
Rohskopf Was Highly Touted Prospect
Rohskopf had been touted as a top prospect in this sport since making his professional debut in February 2018. According to MMA Junkie, Roshkopf previously trained with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas before moving over to train exclusively under MMA coach Robert Drysdale.
Indeed, Rohskopf looked sharp during the first five minutes of the fight both on his feet and during the moments of the fight where the two lightweights went to the ground.
But Rohskopf had taken the opportunity on short notice, and by the second round of action, he was already gasping for air. That’s when Hubbard started landing vicious and bloodying strikes to Rohskopf’s head and body with regularity.
So when Roshkopf finally staggered back to his corner at the end of the second five minutes, the fighter knew he’d seen enough.
He was done, no matter what his coach had to say about the matter.
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Drysdale Blasted on Social Media
In the aftermath of trying to get his fighter to continue fighting, Drysdale was blasted on social media for what some fans and pundits determined was putting his fighter in a dangerous situation.
For those who took this viewpoint, it wasn’t that Drysdale had encouraged his fighter to keep going. Rather, it was that he didn’t take no for an answer and that the fight wouldn’t have even been stopped had the referee not intervened and asked Rohskopf directly whether he wanted to continue.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani sure didn’t like what he saw in Rohskopf’s corner.
“This is infuriating. I counted Max saying ‘call it’ nine times in this sequence. And that’s in addition to the other times he clearly wanted out,” Helwania posted. “Absolute reckless behavior by his corner. Once should be enough. It’s a prelim short notice right. C’mon. Live to fight another day.”
In the end, Hubbard nabbed a needed UFC win, and Rohskopf will have to go back to the drawing board about how to proceed with his fighting career.
🗣 by TKO!
@AustinHubb155 gets the win at #UFCVegas3.
And for some who saw the action, it seems there will also be a strong call that whatever happens next for Rohskopf should include looking for another cornerman.
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