MMASA Double Standards

Its been more than 4 weeks since EFC 92!

“Why does that matter?”, I hear you ask.

It matter because when MMASA official, Natasha Brits, allowed a professional fighter to be choked out multiple times in her disastrous professional refereeing debut at EFC 88, MMASA conducted an investigation and the published outcomes on 17 August 2021 – a commendable 3 days later!

Now, more than 4 weeks later we still have had no response from MMASA other than the drivel posted by Ferdi Basson on his personal Meta page on March 8, 2022 and the quite obvious “deflection statement” by MMASA CEO, Jason Brown, on March 9, 2022.

Here is the issue. 

This ongoing ineptitude and double standards is having a ripple effect through the sport here in SA and this writer would not be surprised if we are the actual laughing-stock of the MMA World. At this point, I am utterly amazed that IMMAF is still considering allowing MMASA to host the MMA Africa Championships at the end of the month!

I have taken time to reflect on the diabolical scenes that resulted from the poor officiating in that main event and cannot condone any of the actions of the DRC fan contingent. Their actions have cost a new up-&-coming professional promotion the opportunity of showcasing their offering and it seems that DRC roster athletes will now be treated differently, especially if one considers the recent “interim title defense” requirements on the part of Alain Ilunga along with his purse stipulation linked to fan behaviour.

What I find more astonishing is the delay in investigation and outcomes from MMASA and the rather juvenile response from the EFC! Lets unpack it all!

On March 8, 2022, Ferdi Basson posted that he “made a mistake!” According to him, his only mistake was waving off a fan who jumped over the fence behind him. I put it to you sir, that you made a number of mistakes! 

The first was your signalling. Signaling that is part of every course offered and presided over by you – I know this because I have personally attended and passed his course – while the certificate is still being withheld despite many requests!

That mistake rightfully made every Tresor fan believe that he had won the title, it also made the commentators as well as the EFC production crew believe that Tresor had won – why else would the cameraman have entered the cage? Was he perhaps also “crazed”?

Your second mistake was taking the time to pen the drivel of March 8, 2022. Unless you have eyes in the back of your head, from the footage I have seen, you do not look behind you at all! And if you did, you did precisely what you tell all your course attendees not to do – you took your eyes off the fight when an athlete was getting ground-&-pound!

Let’s talk about that ground-&-pound…. you state that the reason you called time was because Luke Michael had just received “elbows to the nape of the neck and base of the skull.” In reviewing the footage, yet again, the last 4 strikes do not include elbows nor did they land anywhere near “the nape of the neck and base of the skull” – what fight were you watching?

You also mention that you gave Tresor repeated warnings to watch the back of the head and also warned him about grabbing the fence! The fence grabs came after you initially waved off the fight, so why this is even mentioned is beyond me. Regarding the repeated warnings to watch the back of the head – you know better than most that if a fighter is warned by a ref, in 99% of the cases the fighter will acknowledge those warnings – reviewing the footage shows no signs of Tresor acknowledging those supposed warnings, almost as if they are a figment of your imagination.

Your final mistake was noting the incidents that occurred before the fight almost as if those incidents had more of an impact on you and your performance than that of the fighters. By that very standard, every Conrad Seabi fight should involve S.W.A.T.!

The bottom line is, you fucked up and you do not have in you to admit it! What’s the bet there is something else at play here…..I will put money on it!

Moving to the “deflection statement” by the MMASA CEO on March 9, 2022. So much does not make sense…like;

• Why would you want to reiterate that the letter dated March 6, 2022, is recommending “the following action” when that action has already taken place? Tresor HAS already been suspended with immediate effect and the QuanWessels gym HAS already been given a 6-month warning.
• If Referee Ferdi Basson was interviewed on Monday, March 7, and admitted to his mistake of using the incorrect arm gesture, why then does he not admit to this in his March 8 Meta post?
• With an investigation along with actions being completed within 3 days following the Natasha Brits fiasco, why are we still waiting for the same swift action regarding yet another diabolical performance by yet another MMASA referee? Could it be because he is the Vice President? Could it be because he is the person responsible for training all referees in the country for the past 10yrs? Could it be because he is male?
• Why would the Company Secretary – the very person responsible for the fiasco witnessed at EFC 88 – be responsible for appointing the 2 investigators. Does her previous experience in officiating fiascos qualify her above, let’s say, a totally independent person?

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for the investigation into the selfish and despicable actions of those fans responsible for any threats, violence and damage to property that may have occurred. I wish MMASA well in their endeavours to ensure that this sort of behaviour never rears its ugly head again, unfortunately based on many years of experience, and in the words of someone on social media recently, I don’t expect these muppets to get it right.

Lets add to the MMASA investigation, shall we?

On Friday 25 March, EFC Matchmaker drops a video (viewed on Instagram) where he states that Alain Ilunga, his brother Rocky Ilunga as well as their manger, were major instigators “of all the trouble” – something he admits looking past just so that the EFC can get a fight signed.

For the love of all that is good and proper – Tresor gets a 6-month suspension for doing nothing while Alain Ilunga gets an interim title defense for being an instigator!! WTAF!

When will MMASA abide by there own rules?

When will MMASA abide by a reasonable standard?

When will MMASA show consistency, honesty and integrity in their dealings with athletes?