Professor Cachorrão now uses his experience to judge UFC combats/ Photo by: Gustavo Aragão.
No, Ricardo Almeida Almeida has no fight scheduled. The challenge now is another one, acting as a judge in UFC, the leading MMA organization today.
The teacher who lives in New Jersey cannot be considered a freshman in the function, since he’s already got some experience in smaller events. According to Cachorrão himself, the new “job” is a way of contributing with his experience of the sport that gave him so much joy throughout his career.
It was on this new challenge that GRACIEMAG chatted with the black belt. You can read a sample of it below. The full interview is on GRACIEMAG #184.
What do you have to say to those who think that ex-fighters and coaches who turn MMA judges may be biased for certain fights on the card?
It may happen. You may be partial in any segment of society. The person must be moral and ethical to perform the job well. You have to be the most impartial you can. I can only speak for myself, but here in New Jersey I once was scheduled to judge a fight of a guy who had been trained by me. I called the Athletic Commission immediately and warned that there was a conflict of interest. So I ended up not working in that fight. I don’t wanna be in a position to judge a fight that has someone I know. But it’s a problem that really exists. In MMA or in any other sport.
Why have you agreed to be a judge in MMA?
I wanted to give back to the sport that gave me so much. And continue to be part of the evolution of MMA. It is something personal. I am a martial artist all the time. It’s part of who I am. I don’t simply put on the judge suit and act as a judge, while during the rest of the time I’m worried about any other work. This is my life. I love to be part of any aspect related to MMA. I am a coach, I’m an instructor. And to do my job better each time is very useful to know how fights are scored. Therefore, I become a better source of information for my students. After all, this is my main goal.
