The man who makes heart hands before every UFC fight, Mario Yamasaki saw the inside of the UFC’s Octagon for the last time this past February when Valentina Shevchenko absolutely thrashed Priscila Cachoeira.
The fight could have been stopped multiple times, but it wasn’t, and instead Priscila Cachoeira took a beating she didn’t really need to take.
UFC President Dana White was so furious with what took place, that he banned the referee for life. A first for the UFC boss.
Now, in a new chat with MMAJunkie, Yamasaki has finally admitted to being wrong about the lack of a stoppage in the bout, and revealed that he’s going to continue his referring education with “Big” John McCarthy.
Check it out:
“I think they’re going to know I’m still trying to be the best that I can be. I’m not cocky, just saying, ‘I’ve been there for 19 years; I can’t learn any more.’”
“I should have stopped it a little earlier, but I didn’t.”
“John, for me, is my mentor. He’s been with me since I started. He always helped me, so I think that’s always going to help me. It can never hurt to learn more and see more and listen.”
“I was more in Brazil, so I was not up to speed, I guess, on everything that’s happening here. I need to involve myself more in the scene.”
“If you count for 19 years I’ve been reffing, how many were controversial? Four? Five? But people always see mistakes. There’s nothing I can do. I just have to focus and try not to make any early calls or late calls. Reprogram. Do my job, you know?”
