Please, Save Me From Myself

By Jared Jones

I am a fighter. I will fight until I have nothing left. I am conditioned to win at all cost. I will expire in the ring if that’s what I’m called to do. I will use all of my abilities to battle my opponent, to the death if necessary, because I am a fighter.

This past weekend UFC bantamweight fighters Jessica-Rose Clark and Sarah Alpar met in the octagon. Alpar took the fight on short notice despite the fact that her wedding was three weeks away. Clark dominated every aspect of the fight. Alpar was as game as they come, but couldn’t get much, if anything at all, going offensively. During the third round of the pummeling, Alpar was against the cage taking punches and attempted to drop to the canvas on her backside, when Clark landed a knee directly to the nose of Alpar, basically destroying her face beyond recognition. Perhaps the fight should’ve been stopped prior to Clark landing that knee, but it definitely should’ve been stopped after.

The referee ruled the knee illegal on the spot and stopped the action. He then reviewed the video replay and reversed his ruling, making the knee legal. Either way, the fight should have been over, because Clark had beaten Alpar, in a very literal sense.

What happened next infuriated me. The fight was resumed based solely on the improper break in the action, and Alpar suffered even more extensive damage.

After the fight, Jessica-Rose Clark said the following in an interview: “I could see [the damage] on her face. I apologized to her team after the fight because it shouldn’t have kept going. There was one point where I was trying to submit her because I was like, ‘F–k, I don’t want to keep hurting her. I was going for the head and arm choke but she wasn’t giving it up,” Clark said. “She didn’t give up an inch, not for one second. I wanted to submit her because I didn’t want to keep hurting her as bad as I was. She didn’t want that to happen so, f–k it, I’m going to keep throwing elbows.”

They are fighters. Expect them to give everything they have to the sport they love. It’s why they are there, it’s why we are watching, it’s why we look up to them, and it’s why we believe in heroes. How dare you leave their lives in their own hands after all they have given to you? You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

Jessica-Rose Clark acted like a fighter.

Sarah Alpar acted like a fighter.

Everyone in Alpar’s corner should be fired.

Here are a few reminders to the people involved in combat sports that should in no way and under no circumstances need to be reiterated.

Trainers: Your job involves teaching techniques and fundamentals, preparing fighters for competition, and maximizing the potential of athletes, but don’t get in twisted, YOUR MAIN PRIORITY AND NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FIGHTERS.

Doctors: Your job involves assesing cuts, wounds, and injuries, and monotering the fight, but don’t get in twisted, YOUR MAIN PRIORITY AND NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FIGHTERS.

Referees: Your job involves instructing the fighters, keeping the fight clean, and enforcing the rules, but don’t get in twisted, YOUR MAIN PRIORITY AND NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FIGHTERS.

All other Corner persons, Cut persons, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, and people directly involved in combat sports: YOUR MAIN PRIORITY AND NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FIGHTERS.

Everyone failed Sarah Alpar this past Saturday. A bride to be in three weeks, she needed someone to save her from herself, because she is a fighter, and the people closest to her left her for dead. We have to do better than this.