Dana White stands up for Max Rohskopf for deciding not to fight final round
Max Rohskopf made his UFC debut on Saturday night after taking the fight on just six days notice. His debut resulted in a loss for the 25-year-old as he took a beating from Austin Hubbard and decided not to answer the bell for the final round.
Prior to the calling off the fight, Rohskopf and his trainer went back-and-forth about the decision to end the fight. Rohskopf was begging for the fight to be called off, but his trainer tried to argue that he should continue.
Ultimately, Rohskopf held the final decision and he told the referee that he would not go our for the final round. His decision was noticed by UFC president Dana White, who had no problem with the decision.
“Let me tell you what: In this (expletive) sport, if you’re done, you’re done,” White said at the UFC on ESPN 11 post-fight press conference. “You should absolutely be able to quit. I know that it’s frowned upon, but guess what? Anybody that would talk (expletive) about you quitting isn’t in there fighting. It’s real easy to be a critic. With what these kids do, this is a whole other level, man. … When you get here, this is a whole different level, man.”
White was very clear that he will never judge Rohskopf for not coming out for the final round and he doesn’t think anyone else should judge him either.
When you find out, you need to walk away,” White said. I’m not saying that’s the case with this kid. But if that kid felt like he needed to quit tonight, who the (expletive) is anybody to judge him on that? He had the balls to come here and fight and take a short-notice fight in the UFC.
“He’s gotta get up tomorrow and look himself in the mirror and figure out who he is and what he wants to do,” White said. “There is no shame in getting here and finding out that you’re not it. There’s no shame in that at all. He gave it a shot, didn’t work out. Anybody who would try to ridicule a kid like that, (expletive) you. Come try it. Come try and do what he did tonight. Very few people can do it.”
