Many mixed martial arts fans do not realize that some referees are also experts in the sport, and referee Leon Roberts showed just how good he was in MMA. The ref recently stopped a match between Nathias Frederick and Ahmed Aswald by performing a rear-naked choke against Frederick, a report by Fox Sports noted.
According to Bleacher Report, the fight was held in Leicester, England on "Fight UK MMA - Last Man Standing". The match was initially going well in round one. However, with only 40 seconds remaining, Frederick hit Aswad on the chin with a left hook, knocking out the latter. Frederick did not stop attacking the downed fighter after Roberts called to stop the match. Frederick continued to pound on his opponent, which prompted the referee to do a back take by curling his legs around the supposed victor's legs and doing a rear-naked choke until Frederick succumbed.
It was not known whether Frederick would be penalized for continuing to attack his opponent after the referee halted the fight and one announcer saying that he already won. No comment was acquired from both fighters. However, it seemed that there was no bad blood between the two and Frederick merely got too focused in the fight that he did not immediately stop after knocking out Aswad.
Roberts has served as a referee for UFC fights since 2008 and has been involved in martial arts for most of his life. Part of a referee's job is to ensure the safety of both fighters even after a knockout. Referees will not be penalized for such acts, provided that these were intended to prevent further damage and injury to either fighter and to maintain their safety. Roberts was commended by MMA fans and experts after they witnessed the expert maneuver and execution, in a report by Fansided. There are also other referees, also known to regularly hone their MMA craft, should the need arise like John McCarthy and Herb Dean of the UFC.
The video became viral after it was uploaded and shown by MMA fans around the globe.