Dan HendersonFedor Emelianenko went face-first into the canvas. His legs went limp beneath him. His arms lay flat at his sides. It was a posture that only lasted a moment before he regained enough of his senses to turn to his back and offer something that resembled a defense, but a moment was long enough.
Once Herb Dean saw him laid out on the canvas, he had a decision to make and not much time to make it in. That's the hard part about being an MMA referee. There's no time to count to ten and look in a fighter's eyes. The longer you stand there pondering the current state of his consciousness, the more chances there are for him to get the last remaining brain cells knocked out of his head.
It's a business of snap judgments, which necessarily mean it's a business of flawed judgments. But in the Sears Centre on Saturday night Dean made the right call at the right moment, even if many fans wish he'd made a different one.
First of all, let's be honest with ourselves about one thing: Fedor was out. He got hit and everything in his body went slack. Call it a flash knockout if you want, but that's a distinction you can only make with the benefit of hindsight, after the afflicted fighter comes to. If you're a fighter complaining about a stoppage on the grounds that you weren't really out, but merely resting your eyes for a second, sorry, but you don't have a case.
The split second where Fedor was out was the moment when Dean had to make a decision. The fact that he couldn't get Henderson off of Fedor until the Russian had jolted awake like a man who suddenly realizes he's overslept on the morning of a job interview is immaterial. Dean made the choice to get involved, so he couldn't back off once he'd interfered with Hendo's attack and Fedor had started to show signs of coherence. Then he'd be the dreaded indecisive ref, which is far worse than being the overly cautious ref.
Stopping a fight is like pulling out into traffic: the worst thing you can do is second-guess yourself once you've already started.
Of course, you could point out that Dean also let Fedor take a couple of shots to the back of the head while he was down, but that's a gray area that MMA hasn't figured out how to deal with yet. In that situation, do you pause the bout to warn Henderson, thus giving Emelianenko vital time to recover? Do you wave it off entirely, even when it wasn't the punches to the back of the head that caused the real damage? Do you ignore it and hope nobody says anything?
Dean essentially did the last one, which seems like the worst possible option except for every other option.
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Fedor vs. Henderson
Fedor Emelianenko makes his way to the cage at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Dan Henderson gets ready for the main event at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson get final instructions at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Fedor Emelianenko punches Dan Henderson at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Dan Henderson punches Fedor Emelianenko at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Fedor Emelianenko punches Dan Henderson at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson square off at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Fedor Emelianenko punches Dan Henderson at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Dan Henderson celebrates his first-round TKO win at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Fedor Emelianenko gets treatment after his loss at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Dan Henderson gets his hand raised at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Marloes Coenen makes her way to the cage at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Marloes Coenen punches Miesha Tate at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Marloes Coenen and Miesha Tate battle at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Marloes Coenen punches Miesha Tate at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Miesha Tate swings at Marloes Coenen at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Miesha Tate celebrates her win over Marloes Coenen at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Miesha Tate celebrates her win over Marloes Coenen at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Marloes Coenen reacts after her loss at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Miesha Tate celebrates her win over Marloes Coenen at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Miesha Tate celebrates her win over Marloes Coenen at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Miesha Tate celebrates her win over Marloes Coenen at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy gets ready for his fight at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Robbie Lawler makes his way to the cage at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy battles Robbie Lawler at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy kicks Robbie Lawler at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy kicks Robbie Lawler at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Robbie Lawler punches Tim Kennedy at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy battles Robbie Lawler on the ground at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy battles Robbie Lawler on the ground at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy is a bloody mess after his fight with Robbie Lawler on the ground at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tim Kennedy defeated Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley makes his way to the cage at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyron Woodley kicks Paul Daley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley punches Tyron Woodley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley punches Tyron Woodley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley punches Tyron Woodley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley punches Tyron Woodley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley tries to knee Tyron Woodley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Paul Daley tries to submit Tyron Woodley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyron Woodley celebrates his unanimous decision win over Paul Daley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyron Woodley celebrates his unanimous decision win over Paul Daley at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tarec Saffiedine punches Scott Smith at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tarec Saffiedine tries to kick Scott Smith at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tarec Saffiedine kicks Scott Smith at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tarec Saffiedine punches Scott Smith at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Scott Smith kicks Tarec Saffiedine at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tarec Saffiedine celebrates his unanimous decision win over Scott Smith at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante gets ready for his fight at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante punches Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante punches Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Bobby Green kicks JZ Cavalcante at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante punches Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante punches Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante punches Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante tries to finish Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante tries to finish Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante kicks Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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JZ Cavalcante celebrates his unanimous decision win over Bobby Green at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Dan Henderson looks to finish Fedor Emelianenko at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Dan Henderson rocks Fedor Emelianenko at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via submission at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson punches Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson punches Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson punches Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson celebrates his first-round knockout against Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson celebrates his first-round knockout against Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson celebrates his first-round knockout against Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
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Tyler Stinson celebrates his first-round knockout against Eduardo Pamplona at Fedor vs. Henderson on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
James Law, MMA Fighting
Would it have been nice to know whether Fedor could have recovered and kept fighting? Sure. A fight like this, you hate to have any doubt. Plus, it was exciting enough while it lasted that we all wanted more.
But the stoppage guidelines shouldn't change dramatically just because we're all having a great time, or because we like the person who's about to be stopped. It's one thing to give a veteran fighter a little more of an opportunity to show he's still in it, but it's quite another to look at a guy who's face-down on the canvas and decide that he needs to take a few more shots to the skull just so we can go home happy.
, who does have a way with words on occasion) a few seconds after the stoppage doesn't mean it was a bad call.
It was the right call, even if it was a little unsatisfying. Better to see a fighter leave the cage disappointed than to see him leave on a stretcher. Better to stop it when it looks bad rather than waiting until it gets tragic.
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