Let me preface this article, by saying that, the Referee must consider the advice of the ring Doctor when evaluating any injury. That being said, there is much mis-information concerning injuries in the ring, needless over-reaction or dangerous under-reaction can alter the action and effect the outcome of the bout, the Referee must decide between a minor or a major injury.

Not only did the winner Oh have his work cut out on his road to victory, but so did highly experienced referee Kuhn Fred Fitzgerald overlooking this hard core Muay Thai war.

As a Referee my concern level raises dramatically when I see one fighter receiving multiple head blows, I will then observe the fighters defensive skills (have they diminished ?), I will see if his or her footwork has slowed down, head blows scare me. A fighter can be on the receiving end of many hard unblocked head blows, with little concern, yet if blood appears from a minor cut, everybody wants to stop the fight, including the ring Doctor. Cuts are readily fixable if understood properly, head injuries are dangerous and lasting.

Don't freak out by the sight of blood, a minor cut in the facial area can bleed profusely. The location of the cut is important, underlying structures can be damaged. Blood impairing vision, can hamper the fighter. Check with the Doctor.

CUTS to the face of a fighter, are quite different than cuts made by a knife, a cut made by a knife is an "outside-inside" cut, a punched facial cut is an "inside-outside" cut, the skin bursting injury begins with deeply damaged tissue. The cut is caused by the skin being stretched and crushed against underlying bony ridges. The cut you see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg.

A serious cut must be sutured deeply, then externally. Wound healing time is approximately 30 days for 20% strength, 60 days for 50% strength, 1 year for 80% strength. A scar is never as strong as normal tissue.

This information comes from Refereeing over 1000 fights, also from my good friend, Dr. Joseph Estwanik, a sportsmedicine physician, and orthopedic surgeon. He has been at ringside for more than 10,000 bouts, I consider Dr. Joseph Estwanik to be one of the finest ringside Doctors in the world.

More!! "Possible Injuries In MuayThai">>