In MMA, Is Refusing To Submit Disrespectful?

There are many instances of fighters refusing to submit to their opponent, for whatever reason. Perhaps the most graphic example is when Frank Mir trapped Tim Sylvia in an armbar at UFC 48 and broke his arm in three places when Sylvia didn’t tap. Fortunately, referee Herb Dean was quick to recognize what happened and stopped the fight before further damage was done.

Sylvia later remarked that Dean had saved his career. But what would have happened to his arm if the match had continued? It was a title fight, and Sylvia really wanted to win back the belt after it was stripped from him for steroid use. But that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have played it safe and tapped.

You can hardly blame Mir for what he did, because when you get somebody in that position, you expect them to submit. And if they don’t, then naturally enough you are going to increase the pressure, because your goal is to win the fight and the opponent ought to know when to quit after getting caught in a submission like that. It’s not jiu-jitsu practice; it’s a fight, and the proverb “tap or snap” applies in this context.

Jorge Gurgel is still feeling the effects of his match against Masakazu Imanari in 2003. Imanari, a leglock specialist, caught Gurgel in a heel hook, and cranked it when the tap didn’t come. This caused Gurgel to cry out in pain, holding his newly-shattered knee. To this day, Gurgel’s busted knee affects his movement inside the cage and his training regime. If he had tapped sooner, all of that wouldn’t have happened.

Heels hooks are banned in many jiu-jitsu and Sambo competitions for a reason, but fighters need to be educated about the effects of all kinds of submissions and learn to tap accordingly.

Many fighters have been injured due to various kinds of leg locks. Some didn’t have a chance to tap because the submission came really quickly (and the damage is done before you feel anything), but others refused to submit because they were stubborn and paid the price for it.

Some competitors want to exude an aura of invincibility or toughness, and refuse to tap after getting caught in a rear naked choke. Others simply want to go down fighting, simply not tapping and consequently falling into unconsciousness.

Many fans consider this an authentic display of heart or grit, and a choke is definitely much safer than an armbar. There are many such examples of this phenomenon in MMA. Such finishes include Phil Baroni vs. Frank Shamrock, Takanori Gomi vs. Marcus Aurelio, and Josh Koscheck vs. Drew Fickett.

Still, the fact remains that these fighters refused to acknowledge defeat after getting caught in a position from which they weren't able to escape. “Going to sleep,” as it is colloquially known, might make you look tough, but is not a sportsmanlike gesture by any means, and robs the winner of his due.

The whole point of mixed martial arts is to determine who the best fighter is, so if somebody gets you in a submission that you can’t escape, shouldn’t you acknowledge that you lost in an honorable manner? The goal is to incapacitate your opponent and make them unable to continue fighting, so fighters should grant their opponents the victory when they have earned it by locking in a submission.

And the image of fighters getting choked unconscious has done nothing to make the sport more attractive to mainstream audiences or quell the assumption that MMA is a blood sport (a misconception that is still held by many detractors).

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?