Max Rohskopf made his UFC debut on Saturday night but it's not one he'll want to remember after having to tell his corner 18 times he wanted out of the fight, as his coach seemingly refused to let him quit.
The 25-year-old made his first appearance inside the UFC octagon on Saturday's 'Fight Night' card on ESPN in a lightweight fight against Austin Hubbard.
Hubbard easily won the first two rounds and had bloodied his less experienced opponent without being able to finish him, though it was obvious Rohskopf had little chance of winning.
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His corner tried to rouse him for the final round and Rohskopf told them to call it but coach Robert Drysdale didn't listen to the request. The fighter told his coach 18 times, in varying ways, to 'call it' but each one was ignored until the referee came over and finally the coach said 'he wants to call it.'
Coach's, in both boxing and UFC, have been criticised recently for not pulling their fighters out quick enough as their main function on fight night is to protect the fighter.
One commenter on ESPN's video said, "It takes alot more saying to stop it then carry on. Thats a good decision. He knew his limits not his corner."
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Another said, "Why did the corner make him go through that? The minute a fighter says he doesn't want to continue they should stop it, he shouldn't have to ask over and over again."
A third opined, "This coach is selfish and is living through his fighter. You have to want to take on your path. If you don't, you don't.
"For this coach to not honor him, he's putting his fighter against his will & risking his health...
"I'd expect this will be his last time he coaches him."
The Nevada Athletic Commission revealed it would look into the incident, with NSAC executive director Bob Bennett telling ESPN, "We might want to take disciplinary action on them. That doesn't sound like they are looking out for a fighter. Obviously, he didn't want to come out (and fight)."
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Former UFC star Chael Sonnen was angry earlier this year when Anthony Smith's corner failed to remove him against Glover Teixeira.
However Deontay Wilder was fuming with his corner for pulling him out of the fight against Tyson Fury in the seventh round and sacked the coach who threw in the towel.
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