Photo courtesy of JMOC
Since its inception in 2017, the Japan MMA Officials Committee has
worked to standardize rules and regulations and to develop the next
group of officials in Japan to oversee MMA’s growth in the future.
Much like its North American counterpart, the Association of Boxing
Commissions, did previously, JMOC set out to create a more unified
experience for fighters, referees and judges alike.
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Led by veteran MMA officials Masato
Fukuda, Minoru
Toyonaga, Tomoki
Matsumiya and Naoya
Uematsu, JMOC is preparing to oversee one of Japan’s biggest
MMA events of the past decade,
Rizin 40: Bellator MMA vs. Rizin, on New Year’s Eve in Saitama.
The group spoke with Sherdog.com ahead of the event to discuss
JMOC’s goals, working with North American officials and the
continued evolution of MMA regulation in Japan.
Sherdog: First of all, I would like to ask you to describe
what kind of organization JMOC is, starting with the
characteristics of the organization. I feel that JMOC is pursuing
MMA as a sport more under the influence of North American officials
such as Jason Herzog and Big John McCarthy, but I would like to ask
you to explain how you refer to the North American commission and
how it differs from North America.
Minoru Toyonaga: The difference from North America is that JMOC is
not a public organization. In Japan, referees, judges and other
officials belonging to the MMA promotions were in charge of
matches, but this led to a bias in the exchange of information and
inconsistencies in refereeing and judging across the board.
In order to eliminate that as much as possible, we decided to share
information and make sure that all referees, judges and officials
from each of the participating promotions would be able to work
together to create a neutral organization. As long as we were going
to do this, we decided to form a “general incorporated association”
rather than a voluntary organization like a circle activity or a
club activity. JMOC was formed as a “general incorporated
association.”
Sherdog: I understand that North American officials, such
as Herzog and McCarthy, have had an influence on your efforts to
align with their practices.
Toyonaga: I think that North America is a large market and is
advanced in MMA, so I was wondering what they are doing with
information. I happened to be working with Herzog at Rizin, so I
got the latest information on the scene. We would then build a
relationship of trust with McCarthy and asked to hold individual
seminars for officials, and we would learn from them what North
American (officials) are like. We do not imitate the North American
officials in everything, so the rules differ from organization to
organization, and there are fights that are not under the “unified
rules.” So JMOC shares information and adjusts for current
fights.
Sherdog: In MMA, there is a process where new situations
are added and new rules are established, and I would like to ask
you about the process whereby the rules have become more certain
when new situations arise.
Tomoki Matsumiya: To add a bit more about the North American
influence, the first is the exchange of information at Rizin. The
second is the communication with Herzog and Jerin Varel, and the
third is the special study opportunities such as the seminar with
McCarthy to gain new knowledge. I think these are the major types
of exchanges.
In addition to these three, we are also gathering open information
on how to respond to the new rules, using information from ABC and
MMA-related media, as well as updates on what is happening in
practice in the field. Specifically, the criteria for judging under
the rules have not changed, but there have been discussions in the
U.S. on how to apply them in the field, and this information has
been reflected here in Japan.
Sherdog: I would like to dig a little deeper and ask you
about specific judgments where the rules have not changed but the
viewpoint has changed.
Matsumiya: For example, the rules have had a standard 10-8 score
for a long time, but from a certain time until recently, there was
a trend to give a 10-8 score too generously. The rule criteria are
effective striking, grappling, aggression and area control.
However, in reality, the score is based on “3D,” or damage,
dominance and duration.
Then, there was the operation of giving a 10-8 if there was a
significant difference in two or more of these three factors, but
there were many fighters who maintained an advantage in both
duration and dominance and, dare I say, did not aim for damage. In
other words, the number of 10-8s without impact had increased. So,
the view has now changed to emphasize damage and impact, and now
there are fewer 10-8 scores than before. There is a trend in
judging at this time, and there is more information sharing about
what aspects of the offense and defense should be focused on.
Sherdog: Is that a different approach from North
America?
Matsumiya: It is the same as in North America.
Masato Fukuda: ABC originally started a reform on 10-8 judging in
January 2017, and 3D was already discussed at that time. So 3D has
been updated many times since then on how to operate in the field.
We interacted with Jason and Jerin to get timely information. If
January 2017 was Phase 1, it has continued to evolve from there,
and we are now on the third round, or about Phase 3. It is not good
for officials and fighters to just say, “Let’s actively add the
10-8 without understanding the progress of the 3D update,” and I
think it is very important to properly inform officials and
fighters about the rationale behind adding the 10-8.
Without live information exchange between Japan and the U.S., it is
impossible to know whether we are in Phase 3 or Phase 2 of the
project. In terms of understanding our current status, I am glad
that there was such an exchange of information.
Matsumiya: I think we are now able to confirm where we are at.
Photo Credit: Go Yamamoto
Sherdog: Other than the judging standards, what other
reforms were made under the influence of North
America?
Fukuda: In Japan, we used to call taping the fist a “bandage” and
did not refer to it as a “hand wrap,” but through exchanges with
North America, we started to use the term “hand wrap” and also
started to educate people about hand wrapping; not only through the
names, but also through rules, systematization and training at the
JMOC.
The JMOC has been working on the establishment of detailed rules
and regulations for hand wrapping in the past few years, and I
believe that these rules and regulations are now widely accepted in
Japan. On the other hand, even in organizations that do not have
such regulations, there is a phenomenon where fighters are
voluntarily using the hand wrapping standards adopted by JMOC.
Sherdog: Until now, hand wrapping was often done by
seconds/cornermen, but in the case of certified events, it is not
done by seconds but by those who have been properly
certified.
Fukuda: Yes. In the case of Rizin, there have been many foreign
fighters since its launch, and there were many cases where foreign
fighters came to Japan thinking that it was normal to have the hand
wrapping done by a cut man provided by the officials or promoter,
which is commonplace at their own country’s events. This was before
the establishment of JMOC, but we started preparations at a Rizin
event in 2017 and, in 2018, JMOC started full-scale training of
hand wrap officials.
Now that the certification system has started, there are five
people certified as hand wrap officials. On New Year’s Eve, those
certified hand wrap officials are preparing to handle Bellator
athletes as well. Before the information exchange, we didn’t have
people certified, but we spoke with the Bellator cut man and got a
tour of the competition operation site of the California State
Athletic Commission (CSAC), and now we finally have a working
certification system. That is a great evolution.
Toyonaga: I think it changed the way I am as an official. Before
JMOC, I had been interacting with fighters, refereeing and judging
fighters I knew or who belonged to the same organization. I try to
eliminate such things as much as possible now and I try to create
distance and maintain neutrality.
As Big John said, we should not be chatting with fighters around
the ring or with the promoters. As much as possible, we should be
involved as a neutral, impartial and fair organization, and as an
impartial person. In that sense, we have changed our stance to be
more like public organizations in North America.
Sherdog: As an organization, you are trying to avoid any
suspicion of a conflict of interest, but one aspect is that some of
the JMOC officials have their own gyms and so there are fighters
who come to practice. What things do you pay attention to when you
are involved with fighters?
Matsumiya: I don’t think it is possible for us to have no
relationship at all with any of the fighters or people involved in
MMA. We have studied martial arts in the gym. I think it is a
question of how we behave on a daily basis so as not to arouse any
suspicion. I would like to ask Mr. Uematsu specifically about
this.
Naoya Uematsu: I don’t have any training with the people I would be
refereeing now, so I don’t think anything of it at the moment, and
I don’t participate as a referee in events with fighters I would
have been in contact with before. I don’t referee for Pancrase
because fighters who belong to my gym compete there. I don’t coach
fighters from other gyms, so I don’t have that problem now, but
there is a possibility that it may happen in the future.
Sherdog: Because of the nature of MMA, it is impossible to
be completely independent from anyone, so it is necessary to be
disciplined. There is a way of thinking with common sense but also
a way of making it clear through writing. Does JMOC have such a
written rule?
Matsumiya: We have not yet done so, but some commissions in the
U.S. have already established a code of ethics and we will do so in
the near future. As we continue our official activities, so as not
to arouse suspicion from those around us, we are making fewer and
fewer friends within the martial arts community (laughs).
Sherdog: When Herzog and McCarthy were invited to Rizin, I
think there was a feeling that they were “big,” but looking ahead I
feel that there will come a time when referees with big bodies will
be required as a generational change. However, the population of
MMA fighters in the heavyweight class in Japan is small, so I would
like to ask you if you are making preparations for
this?
Toyonaga: In Japan, I believe that referees should be assigned to
fights that match the fighter’s size as much as possible, and the
most recommended thing is to have female referees for female
fights. There are very few female referees in Japan right now, so
it is difficult to assign a referee to every fight. I think it is
better to have a referee of a similar size to the fighters. The
JMOC officials are well-trained, so there has never been a time
when they could not stop a fighter during a match in Japan.
Sherdog: Rizin’s body checks for female fighters are done
by a woman (Tomoko Igarashi), but for Deep Jewels, they are done by
a man.
Matsumiya: It depends on the event.
Sherdog: Is that something you would like to work on in the
future?
Toyonaga: We would like to do as much as we can.
Fukuda: I think the trend of having female officials for female
fighters started with the introduction of female officials at Rizin
in 2017. The women who are currently in charge of that were first
introduced to Rizin after attending the inspector training session,
and then moved up to that spot after continuous training through
practical work at feeder shows and follow-up meetings, so it is not
just anyone. It is not easy to train and develop a large number of
people, so it will take time.
Matsumiya: It is impossible without increasing the number of
officials, in terms of gender and body size. It would be nice to
have a more diverse group of people, but since we have only been
active for four years, we do not have that many staff members. We
have to assign the best people among our current officials. The
presence of female staff is very important. I think the stress that
female athletes, in particular, face would be lessened if there
were more female officials.
Sherdog: This may be outside the scope of the JMOC, but
when women are in the MMA industry, there are often many men around
them and women’s health is a delicate subject. I feel it is wrong
to ask a man for advice about a woman’s health condition. What kind
of contact person should there be for women who participate in the
competitions, and how does JMOC feel about that?
Toyonaga: In major promotions, I think it would be better to have
women handle as much as possible for the more delicate and
difficult situations, such as weigh-ins, weigh-in locations and
body checks, but there are not many people who can do this and so I
am not sure if we can cover everything. However, I think it would
be better if female athletes were overseen by female officials as
much as possible.
Matsumiya: In order to increase the number of female competitors,
we need to increase the number of women involved in martial arts;
not only athletes, but also staff and coaches. Physical
conditioning is, in a sense, coaching, so I think we need a system
to encourage women to enter or remain in the martial arts industry.
It would be good if such people could be active in the JMOC. At any
rate, unless we take measures to increase the number of women, I
think it will be difficult to achieve that.
Sherdog: Back to the discussion on rules, in North America
the Unified Rules are fully posted and available online. However,
on the Rizin website in Japan for example, there is unfortunately
only a small rules page. By enhancing the rules, it would be easier
for foreign fighters to decide whether to participate at an event
if they can read the rules in English before competing.
For Rizin, it is their responsibility because it is Rizin’s
website, but I don’t think that means that JMOC should have nothing
to do with the rule pages. JMOC could be involved to some extent,
but I would like to ask you how you would like to move forward in
this area in the future?
Fukuda: I don’t think we need full text of the rules, from Article
1 to Article 40. There is text that conveys enough of the
information for rule reviews. If there is such a request in the
future, we will release essential information from that text and
then we can make a request to Rizin to upload it. Although we
cannot solve the discretionary issue of whether we can release the
information, we should accept such a request.
Sherdog: Please explain what you are doing with regard to
deepening the rules of MMA by interacting with organizations that
promote Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing and
kickboxing.
Uematsu: Conversely, my question to you is whether there are
specific examples of exchanges in other sports and competitions? In
the case of martial arts and combat sports, there are comparisons,
but I feel that it is not always beneficial to have exchanges
because the fundamentals do not match since the refereeing process
is quite different in each sport. As for formal refereeing, I am
involved in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, MMA and sambo, but the purpose of
each is different.
To give a specific example, people who are involved in Brazilian
jiu-jitsu try to grade MMA based on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu scoring
standards, which is harmful. I often see that the Brazilian
jiu-jitsu point system is being dragged down by MMA standards, and
I honestly think that’s a bad thing. My personal feeling is that it
is possible to bring the aspect of evaluating Brazilian jiu-jitsu
techniques to MMA judging, rather than applying Brazilian jiu-jitsu
refereeing to MMA as it is.
For example, in judo, wrestling and boxing, each of those sports
evaluates criteria differently. In boxing, whether it is a flash
knockdown where the fighter stands on a 3-4 count or a down where
the fighter stands up just before the count of 9, they will all
probably receive a 10-8 round score. In MMA, I don’t think it is
necessarily rated that way. A flash knockdown is probably not rated
as highly in terms of damage.
In MMA, if a fighter can take down an opponent and inflict damage,
that is highly valued, even if that does not include an ippon grade
(near submission) technique like in judo where the opponent is
thrown so that his back is on the ground. So I think it is good to
use it as a reference. However, whether or not it would be
beneficial to both parties to exchange refereeing skills as they
are, I think an exchange is something that needs to be considered.
I myself have been thinking about this issue for some time.
Sherdog: The reason I asked you about this is because I
believe that two things are necessary: to bring specialists into
the JMOC to sharpen detail, and standardization, which is a bit
contradictory in a sense.
Fukuda: There is no official exchange between organizations, but
we’ve had discussions such as the one just described by Mr.
Uematsu, who is in charge of competition management in other
sports, and he has shared his knowledge with us.
Matsumiya: It is important to have people with various backgrounds
among our officials. Japanese MMA is also becoming more
sophisticated. In the past, we had judges from other sports such as
wrestling and kickboxing, but we have long passed that stage. By
referring to other sports, it does not mean adopting methods as
they are, but rather increasing the number of ways to look at MMA.
It is like what Mr. Uematsu has just mentioned, where we ask people
to show us their points of view.
Sherdog: Many of Rizin’s fans watch on YouTube. JMOC’s
website has many columns and official Twitter and Facebook
accounts, but it is lacking in terms of video, and video is one of
the keys to appealing to a different audience rather than just
text. How do you feel about this?
Toyonaga: If we can, we would like to do so. If we are going to
communicate what we are doing, it would be better to film what we
are actually doing on-site. We need to talk to each promotion to
confirm what kind of work they are doing. For example, there are
people who are not in the ring, so it would be good if the
inspectors, hand wrap officials, etc. could show what kind of work
they are doing. It is true that people would be more interested if
we could transmit more than just text and photos but also videos
and actual actions. This is something to be considered in the
future.
Matsumiya: We have been sending out information on official
matters, such as interpretation of rules, in written form, but I
think it would be beneficial to send it out in video form as well.
However, as is characteristic of our organization, we do not have a
full-time staff. We are a volunteer organization with busy work
schedules, and we do not have a strong financial base. We would
like to have people who are willing to help us create and
distribute the videos.
Sherdog: Japan (Rizin) has its own rules for grounded
knees, soccer kicks and stomps, and the use of a ring is the most
noticeable difference from the Unified Rules. It is necessary for
foreigners to understand the rules, and I would like to ask how you
are implementing them and how you have accumulated
knowledge?
Matsumiya: Under the Unified Rules, the referee has the exclusive
authority to make decisions, and no one can interfere with his
rulings. In Japan, however, the sub-referee and the referee work
together as a team to minimize blind spots in order to make a fair
decision. Also, at one time, there was a rule in the U.S. that the
corner (second) could not throw in the towel. However, the corner’s
instantaneous judgment and action is also necessary to protect the
safety of the athlete.
There are disadvantages to throwing towels, such as not being able
to tell who threw it or not being able to reach it because it gets
caught in the ropes or fence, but we introduced the baton to
eliminate such disadvantages. The corner can throw the baton and
the sub-referee can also throw it. I think we have created a system
that prioritizes the safety of the fighters.
Sherdog: I understand that Herzog has participated in
sub-refereeing and gave a good evaluation of its
effectiveness.
Matsumiya: He praised it as “teamwork.” The referee is the
exclusive arbiter, but the sub-referee system means that the
referee is not alone. From another perspective, it is also a system
for training referees. The sub-referee can prevent situations where
an inexperienced referee might make a poor decision alone, in
advance. So it is one of the training systems that can be used for
study and experience, and also for building a career without
unnecessary trouble. While it is important to make proper judgments
and rulings during matches, another major role of the JMOC is to
nurture referees, and I think sub-referees fulfill a function in
that sense as well.
Sherdog: In that sense, can you say how much the number of
JMOC members has increased since its establishment?
Toyonaga: At first, we had people who had grown up in different
promotions, but now we are at the stage where we have people who
have grown up in JMOC. Before JMOC, we had gained experience
through each promotion’s own system, but now we are at the stage
where members are gaining experience by gathering it from other
members. We develop two to three officials per year. There are
always about 50 members, and about 20 officials who are
certified.
Matsumiya: We have a JMOC community where we share information.
From there, they go through various training sessions in the field.
After that, as Mr. Toyonaga just said, not many people can be
active in the professional arena. There are 40 to 50 people in the
community and, out of them, a few per year may or may not be able
to become professionals after gaining experience through on-the-job
training. That is the de facto system at the moment.
Toyonaga: Officials are not often praised. Inexperienced officials
make mistakes and are not praised. On the contrary, they are
insulted. If that is the case, there will not be many people who
will continue to work with us.
Sherdog: As mentioned in the JMOC column, people at the UFC
level are chosen. In the past, new people were sometimes brought in
and made strange refereeing decisions, but that is not typically
the case now. It is a stage where only selected people can move
up.
Toyonaga: In the end, the chosen people are a select few, but it is
not enough to have a small group of elite people and so we must
broaden our talent’s base.
Matsumiya: We follow the rules, practices and customs with regard
to judging under the Unified Rules, but there are also different
ways of judging like total must. There are two phases in our role
regarding judging: the rule-making phase and the on-the-spot
judging phase. We do our own rule making, but in the case of the
Deep rules, with the time constraint of two five-minute rounds, how
do we determine clear winners?
Deep adopted a rule, which we supervised, that the rounds are
scored by a 10-point must system. If there is a tie, the winner is
decided by a total must decision. This rule is the result of
thinking about how to evaluate offense and defense in MMA
competition. I think there are many positive evaluations of this
rule.
Sherdog: [Deep promoter] Shigeru Saeki has expressed that
he has complete trust in the judges scoring his
fights.
Matsumiya: The total must decision system in Rizin is unique,
however. The old Pride total must system only told you which side
won. There was no basis for the decision. However, I think that
scoring is based on the idea that judgments need to be supported by
evidence. In a Unified Rules system, in which three five-minute
rounds are fought, the fighter who wins more rounds wins the fight.
So it feels like a single match, whether that single match is 5
minutes or 15 minutes.
As I told Bellator fighters at the rules meeting the other day, if
there is a 30-27 decision under the Unified Rules, the result will
not be overturned under the Rizin Rules. However, in the case of
29-28, there is a possibility that the result could be overturned.
What I mean is that, even if the fighter who took 29 was better in
generalship, if the fighter who took 28 made an impact in damage
then that fighter would win.
This is one evaluation system that was created after considering
these factors. Of course, the meaning of an attack and defense
changes within a 15-minute period as opposed to a 5-minute period,
so it is more difficult to evaluate. We are also thinking about
what kind of system would lead to more valid results and a
conclusion that is more acceptable in MMA, so we are adopting
American standards, but at the same time we are also thinking about
how MMA should be. Not necessarily unique to here in Japan, but we
aren’t simply imitating the United States.
Sherdog: Is there anything in particular that’s noteworthy
from interactions with Herzog or individual referees, or anything
that you were taught or told that really stuck with
you?
Toyonaga: Jason is doing this in North America, where he makes the
rounds before each match to do a final rules check with each
fighter to build up a sense of trust, so we thought it would be
better to do this on the biggest stage possible and especially in
Rizin. By doing this in promotions other than Rizin, we can
eliminate any discrepancies in awareness between the fighters and
the promoters, so we are doing this in other promotions as
well.
Matsumiya: It may come as a surprise to you, but there are some
fighters and seconds who do not understand the details of the
rules. By having them ask us questions during our rounds, we can
ensure that the rules are thoroughly understood. Also, since we are
rarely unable to answer questions, our credibility is enhanced.
With international competitors, we have to make sure that they
understand the unique Japanese calls. We say, “In such and such a
case, we will make such and such a call” (signal). Our calls do not
convey our feelings, but rather our interpretation of the rules, so
the pre-match patrol is also important to ensure the meaning of the
signals. I think we have been able to build a relationship of trust
with the fighters and seconds in the matches by being aware of such
things.
Uematsu: In my case, it is also about the way I act and behave, and
when I heard about the origin of the Unified Rules from Big John, I
was able to understand the essence of the rules more. For example,
I think that there are two kinds of intentions in recognizing
fouls. One is to recognize fouls to protect the safety of the
athletes, and the other is to activate the offense and defense in
the competition. It is very important to be aware of the meaning of
the foul and how it affects the fighters, and if you think about
it, you will have a better understanding when making judgments.
It’s all in the details, little by little. In fact, there have been
cases in which a casual comment made in the field has had a great
impact on me. When I attended a seminar once, I was asked why
spiking is a foul and why falling on the head is extremely
dangerous, and when the rules were being established in North
America, doctors were of the opinion that any throws that fall on
the head should be banned. Big John reviewed all throws from the
Atlanta Olympics.
As a compromise, they decided to prohibit only the vertical throws
such as spiking, which is a vertical drop. All other throws,
whether they fall from the head or the shoulders, were allowed. I
was able to understand very well that this is how spiking is
supposed to be done, so I was able to understand what had been
troubling me until then by hearing how it was established. This was
helpful in understanding the true meaning of the rules and in how
to manage and proceed with the competition.
Fukuda: I agree. I think that there have been cases where rules
have been adopted simply by translating the text of the U.S.
Unified Rules, but I realized once again that I did not understand
the essence of them. By learning the origin and background of the
rules, I realized that what I had thought was difficult was
actually not so difficult. I realized that I had not understood the
essential nature of the rules when I had only translated them.
This was a big part of what became very clear to me through
exchanges with North American officials. As mentioned earlier,
there is definitely a trend in the field of 10-8s. Since it is
difficult to understand the trends only from the text, we are able
to update our own trends by referring to them, rather than just
accepting them as they are, by having exchanges across borders with
other officials. I think that this is a very important thing. I
understand what Mr. Uematsu is saying.
Sherdog: In that regard, do you think that Japan is already
at the same level as English-speaking countries?
Toyonaga: I have opportunities to actively communicate with Jason
and Jerin, and I hear the trends and the real voices; not just what
is being transmitted in media or being written down. I think I am
incorporating these trends at an early stage. I am not just
referring to what I read in a magazine. I’m listening to what
people are actually doing in the field. I think this is possible
because of the information exchange.
Matsumiya: Speaking of exchanges, Jason appreciates our activities,
and we are grateful that he is actively sending us information. We
are doing activities that are meaningful in their own way, and that
means that we are receiving support from the people around us. I
think it is quite a hassle for Jason to schedule meetings with us.
Even so, he dares to do such a thing.
He has commented to me that, “Our work never sees the light of day.
Even so, it feels good to be able to work with like-minded people
who are trying to improve the industry.” I feel that we are doing
something that will receive such comments, and I am sometimes
encouraged by them. I feel that I am receiving support, not only
from Jason but also from many other people.
Sherdog: You began a certification system in December that
established a written rule to nurture officials, which I felt was
one of the goals when JMOC began. I understand that it is not easy
to train officials, but how much of this know-how has become an
effective tool for developing them?
Uematsu: I personally think that the system is quite
well-established, as several people have actually become Rizin
referees based on the classroom or hands-on training at JMOC. Many
referees in existing organizations are retired professional
athletes who are suddenly asked to take on the role of referee and
wear the official polo shirt, which is the same as how I started
out.
I have taken many courses at the JMOC, and actually worked as an
inspector and hand wrap official in the field as an intern, while
studying, mock judging and then becoming an official judge. One can
also gain experience as a referee at amateur tournaments that are
under our guidance and then gradually rise up to the level of our
professional referees, starting with rookie fights and then on to
higher-profile fights.
I think that we can help the referees by registering them in the
certification system. This is my own theory, which is different
from the JMOC’s, but in the end only the referee can protect the
referee, and in Japan there is no official backing for them. In
that sense, we have a responsibility to protect the referees who
have registered with us. I feel a responsibility to help and
protect them.
Sherdog: There will be a joint Japan-U.S. officials team on
New Year’s Eve, and top referees from the U.S. will come to Japan
to form a joint team. What is the significance of this
collaborative work for JMOC?
Matsumiya: The most important thing is to make the competition
environment more fair; not just for JMOC but for Rizin as well. The
first priority is to make the Rizin-Bellator rivalry fair under the
Rizin rules by including people who are licensed by the U.S.
commissions.
Fukuda: In recent years, we have not been able to bring in foreign
fighters due to the Coronavirus, so it has been a long time since
we have had an event that is heavily populated by foreign fighters.
Even if you include the past times when there were foreigners at
events quite frequently, I think that this [Rizin 40] is an
extraordinarily high level of matchmaking in the Japanese MMA
world.
Moreover, matchmaking is happening in a way that none of the
Japanese officials have ever experienced before. I think there is a
part of the American side that wonders if Japanese officials can
really respond to the situation with the history and environment
that Japan has had up until now. In that sense, making a team [of
officials] is a way to convince them of the other side’s feelings,
and also a way to make it fair. If we are creating a team, I think
it would be good if we could connect it to the sharing of know-how
that I mentioned earlier.
Toyonaga: MMA as a competition is not the same as the old “vale
tudo,” and I think this is the best MMA event ever held in the
modern era, when MMA techniques have been refined. We have
established a certification system to prove to the officials from
North America that we have a certain amount of experience and
knowledge. JMOC is made up of accredited officials who are able to
answer inquiries about the experience of the referees and
judges.
Fukuda: For this New Year’s Eve, not only certified referees and
judges but also backstage inspectors and hand wrap officials – all
of whom are certified – will be employed to manage the competition
at the event. In the past, inspectors were people who did not know
the rules and did not know what to check, but they participated in
the event on an open-spot basis.
We have been doing the same thing for the past few years, but we
have established a system whereby inspectors can participate
backstage only after a long period of training. It was a
coincidence that the timing was right for this event, but we
prepared for an event with this level of competition in
anticipation of it coming.
Matsumiya: After working with JMOC, I think that the way of looking
at and accepting “officials” has expanded. I also think that the
ways of becoming involved with MMA have expanded, too. For example,
when people ask how they can become an inspector, I think that we
have been able to show them that the martial arts are not only
about fighters and spectators but also about other ways of
involvement and support. Not many people are able to move up to the
professional stage, but I think that by getting people interested
in this kind of work, there are more ways to look at it and get
involved.