Dana White, Ariel Helwani blast negligent referee Frank Collazo after mega fail during Fury FC

A recent bout at Fury FC 76 has made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Fans were left sickened when MMA referee Frank Collazo failed to stop a bout after a man went to sleep while his opponent transitioned to another submission.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many taking to social media to call for Collazo’s removal from the sport. To make matters worse, Collazo went on to judge in the UFC the very next day, leaving fans and pundits bewildered.

During the Fury FC 76 bout between Edgar Chairez and Gianni Vazquez in Texas, Chairez put his opponent in a triangle, causing him to go out.

Referee Collazo failed to realize that Vazquez was out and allowed the action to continue. Chairez then switched to an armbar, with the commentary team screaming at the ref to stop the bout.

It would be another ten seconds before Vazquez came back to it to tap out, leaving many questioning Collazo’s competence as a referee.

 

The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many fans saying they never want to see Collazo involved with combat sports again.

Commentator Alex Morono exclaimed, “Frank, he’s out! He’s out!” and another caller added, “Frank! What. Oh my gosh! Frank, it’s done! Frank, it’s done! What are you doing? It’s done!”

Fans and pundits alike were left stunned by the decision to let Collazo judge at the UFC San Antonio event the following day.

 

UFC boss Dana White spoke to the media after the event and revealed his surprise at the refereeing blunder at Fury FC.

White’s comments echo the sentiment of many fans who are calling for stricter regulations and higher standards in MMA officiating.

Ariel Helwani called out the fail as well on the MMA Hour:

 “One of the most disgusting moments in the history of MMA. The guy on the ground is completely out and his arm is being twisted… The ref’s name is Frank Collazo, and I don’t wanna pour it on him, but how are you not seeing the guy on his back is completely out? This is disgusting. This is criminal. This is truly a travesty.”

Gianni Vazquez took to Instagram to share his thoughts and give an injury update. “I make a mistake and it cost me the fight that I feel I was winning,” he wrote.

“My opponent took advantage of that and with some stupid referee that didn’t stop the fight when I was out now I have to deal with a potential fracture on my arm and some ligaments damaged too.”