Exclusive: Benji Radach Explains Why He's Appealing His TKO Loss to Scott Smith
(Fence grab is at 10:18, the alleged illegal blow comes at 17:25. Props: MMA Share.)
Benji Radach has filed a formal appeal with the California State Athletic Commission through his agent, Ken Pavia, challenging his TKO loss to Scott Smith on the April 11 Strikeforce show in San Jose, California. We contacted Radach earlier today to get him to explain, in his own words, why he’s appealing the loss and what he hopes to accomplish. Here’s what he had to say.
CagePotato.com: If you could Benji, sum up for me the main points outlined in your appeal.
Benji Radach: There are two main points. One, in the second round I had him in a guillotine, choking the piss out of him, and I thought I was just going to choke him unconscious. But he grabbed the fence and used it to pull us into a scramble and get out of the choke, which is illegal.
Number two, when I got hit with the big shot in the third and I hit the mat I was recovering and I was aware. I turned to the side to put my hand out and get up and he hit me with an illegal blow on the back of the head. That’s when the referee stopped the fight.
Let’s start with the fence-grabbing. That’s something that seems to have different consequences depending on the referee and the situation. Sometimes the ref just yells at the guy to let go and sometimes it’s a point deduction. Are you saying that you think something else should have been done about that during the fight?
Well, he did it when he was in the guillotine. Whenever someone grabs the fence to avoid a submission that’s an automatic point deduction.
Right, but since the fight didn’t go to a decision you could argue that a point deduction, even if Herb Dean had stepped in right then, wouldn’t have had a big impact on the outcome.
Yeah, the main point is the illegal shot to the back of the head.
The punch that he knocked you down with looked like a hard shot. Were you hurt at the time? Do you remember everything that happened right then?
I didn’t see the punch hit me. I was throwing a left hook and he hit me with a straight right, so I didn’t see it. It was a hard shot. I knew I was hurt. I didn’t want to be like one of those guys who gets up in the interview afterwards and says, ‘He didn’t hurt me at all,’ and then when they show the replay he looks stupid because he was obviously hurt. I didn’t want to embarrass myself or anything. But when I got a chance to go back and look at the replay and really see what had happened, I was disappointed with that stoppage.
It seems like it takes so much to get the result of a fight changed after the fact. Do you really think the commission might overturn this? It seems like that rarely happens.
I actually had one overturned in my first fight in the UFC against Steve Berger. I was on top of him punching him in the head and I had one hand on the cage as I was punching him, just hitting him so hard I thought I was going to break my hand. Finally the referee stopped it, and afterwards the state athletic commission overturned it because they said I was using the cage for leverage as I was hitting him. It got changed to a no contest.
Is that what you’re hoping to accomplish here? Get this changed to a no contest and then, what, a rematch?
Yeah, if I could get a no contest and get another fight with him, that’s what I’d want. I’m not taking anything away from him, but the ref should have allowed me to defend myself and he didn’t.
Are you at all concerned about the fan reaction to your appeal? People are going to say, 'he’s just upset because he lost.' Does that bother you?
You know, I don’t know. I just think it was a bad stoppage and I don’t want that on my record.
(BF)
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Comments
I hate firsts Says:
Shut up to everyone who says they are first. Its like a 1st grader being in the front of the line.
Some black dude with a knife Says:
I SAID, "GIMME ALL YO MONEY!!!"
Mixed Martial Adam Says:
I am sympathetic that Benji thought the end blow was illegal - it surely may have been. However, if he didn't eat a steel-handed straight right that put him on queer street he wouldn't have been in a situation for the ref to stop the fight at all.
I've seen plenty of terrible stoppages (Burns vs. Johnson I, Riley vs. Nelson for recent examples) and Radach's fight wouldn't even make the top 20. If the ref didn't call it in the fight it's doubtful that any commission would side with Benji considering the mega-hard shot that he took before the illegal blow. After a punch like that, any shot (legal or not) would have caused the ref to intervene.
Grow up dude and try to retain any fans and sponsors that you may have picked up. It's Strikeforce - there's like six middleweights - you'll get a rematch eventually without looking like a less-talented BJ Penn.
Mdollas Says:
Every fighter has a right to pleed his or her case after a fight, guess they will review this and make a decision....But considering Anthony Johnson lost to eye poke to Kevin Burns and they didnt over turn that....good luck.
Anonymous Says:
that fence grab didn't do shit maybe you should of finished him off instead of going for that gay guillotine and you GTFO plain and simple. kinda liked benji before but see hes a douchebag now. why sully a great fight and alinate fans by being a baby or a poor sport d-bag.
LAS Says:
Radach has some legitimate points, especially with the shot to the back of the head at the finish. However, as Adam notes, on the spectrum of bad stoppages, this one hardly registers. Damn near every card you see, when a guy faceplants from a hard shot, the follow-up GNP hits the back of the head. It's pretty hard not to, when the legal space for hitting is fully on the canvas.
Ample Says:
I can see where Benji is comming from but that fool was was only going to get hammered into oblivion. I dunno, tough break on that one.
Anonymous Says:
I don't see how that grab could have alleviated the strength of that choke given he grabbed it for a split second. It's not like he was hanging out holding onto the fence for 10 seconds.
Benji is likely going to be laughed out of this hearing. He had, literally at least 20 opportunities to finish the fight and he didn't. It's his own damn fault, not Smith's or Deans.
BTW, Herb was already going to stop the fight before the hammerfist to the back of the head.
Benji, you lost, now stop crying
Swimming with Idiots Says:
wow he is delusional...the fight will NEVER be overturned.
Smith deserved the W.
The fence grab was a fraction of a second and Smith ended up almost mounted.
Maybe there was one strike on the back of the head...however...the strike right before that was right on his cry baby chin and it shut the lights off. He lost. Plain and simple.
People need to learn how to lose with dignity and honor.
SCM Says:
Yea i agree, this complaint isnt going to do anything but waste peoples time. If Anthony Johnsons loss doesnt get erased for that eye poke, then this should not even make the commision look at it for longer than 30 minutes.
MC Obscene Says:
What a cry baby. I saw nothing that shows even anything close to overturn the fight. Someone grabs the fence longer then Smith did in almost every fight! As for the punch to the back of the head, I don't see it and even if he did, he was out and that shit happens all the time. HE was done, when he gets up he can't even stud up with out wobbling. Unbelivable!!!!
Dojima Says:
at first I was, "oh no you di'int"... but, he does sort of have a point.. its possible that he could have sweat out a minute and half on the ground with a tired-ass Hands of Steel lying on him, and won on points, which would have definitely happened with the loss of the point for Smith on grabbing the fence....
either way, he had the rest of the round and whole extra one to finish him, and he couldnt. so there. probably wont win and all he will be known for is sour grapes.
Theslothman Says:
These phantom Back of the head shots are all the rage . this started as GSP'S excuse to getting KTFO by Serra, then stuck around for all TO use. once and for all, if your shyt is getting '' pushed in'' , and you turn your head to the side, and then the next(last) shot comes into contact with something other than your grill, its cus YOUR ON YOUR WAY TO THE CANVAS, KTFO.
ColinL Says:
Well sonuvabeech, the PotatoNation has already covered everything I wanted to say.
Radach should have let this one go. It was a damn good fight that he was definitely winning, but he lost decisively. The final blow was unnecessary, lacked much force, and completely irrelevant. The right hand was the stoppage. Actual blows that landed afterwards would only do damage, because the fight was no longer in doubt.
And I watched it live on Showtime HD. I had my remote, I saw high-quality replays right after. It *almost* looked that bad twice previously for Smith and once for Radach, but Herb Dean saw defensive movement after the earlier knockdowns and thus no stoppage.
Dundertaker Says:
SHENNANIGANS!....it's a fight! He got beat. Grease gate this ain't!!!! Herb immediately yelled at Scott to get off the fence......it happens!
He got KTFO'd! This isn't boxing.....no standing 8....! He's not the first person to feel his fight was stopped too soon! No one in MMA (almost) is undefeated because anyone can be knocked out or caught! Ask Faber, GSP, and LESNAR! it's what I love about the sport!
Just one cage potatoes opinion! Good fight! Sorry it didn't go your way! Rematch!!!
Caps Lock hall is a LOSER Says:
Not a good move by your manager Benji.
Come on Ken...thought you were the best in the biz? (OR Pav...whatever your fruitty ass likes to be called).
Your manager should stop and say: "Hey genius, you can cry and complain all you want...you got KTFO, you are going to alienate fans and lose respect from your peers."
The fence grab did nothing, the punch on the back of the head is a close one...but it did come after a clean shot floored you
sohowcome Says:
I agree it was a legit call.... silly to fight it, makes him look down along with his manager
K.E.G. Says:
Yea i agree, this complaint isnt going to do anything but waste peoples time. If Anthony Johnsons loss doesnt get erased for that eye poke, then this should not even make the commision look at it for longer than 30 minutes.
or 30 seconds. The fight was over, period. If this gets overturned wich it wont, then we might as well erase Koschecks last lost as well as about a million others. Benji just needs to get over it and fight some strikeforce cans and get another fight with smith.
Also what kind of name is Josh Koscheck? Is he some kind of black jew? seriously I'm curious.
Poo Flinger Says:
Benji looked confused when he got up and he visibly stumbled. Had the fight continued, his face would have just turned to mush. So in conclusion, the fight was stopped too early.
don't matta Says:
someone call benji the whaaabuance.
You got beat, suck it up an move on. Internet marks don't like their fighters groveling.
Darkside Says:
What a bitch. Then again, with a name like Benji...
Truth Serum Says:
As tough as MMA fighters appear to be they are sore ass fucking losers. Time and time again someone loses then goes crying to the Athletic Commission. Just accept the fact you lost and move on in life. The time wasted battling a useless battle is time away from training to become a better fighter so that outcome doesn't happen again. I remember growing up, you lose at something it was just that a loss. The world is so sad now, people battle over the fact they lose. Winning is great, but losing should make you train that much harder.
You lost Mr. Radach. Get back in the gym and improve on the things that caused you to lose.
Dana White is a HOMO Says:
Now if Scott Smith was robbing a resturant Benji would have finished him. I say Scott Smith wins that fight 7 out of 10 times. No shame in your game Benji.. You can always be a crime fighter or a bouncer at Denny's
Diaz Brother's= GANGSTA
DukeofNewYork A#1 Says:
I like how he points out scott grabbing the fence for a second, and then later on talks about how he used the fence for leverage to throw blows on a fighter.
CAPS LOCK HAL, Says:
FUCK YOU MOTHERFUCKING GOONS, YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT MMA MOTHERFUCKERS. ATHLETIC COMMISSION SHOULD GIVE BENJI A WIN IN THAT FIGHT CAUSE THE STOPPAGE WAS FUCKING BULLSHIT. I FUCKING PITY YOU FUCKING LOSERS WHO THINK OTHERWISE. I COULD SMASH YOUR FUCKING LITTLE HEADS IF I HAD A CHANCE YOU FUCKING MMA NOOBS. GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTERS AND GO DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE LIVES. YOU CAN COME TO MY GYM AND SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT YOU FUCKING GOONS. I WILL FUCK YOU UP SO HARD YOU WILL EAT YOUR SHIT. BENJI WON THAT FUCKING FIGHT IF NOT FOR THAT FUCKING ILLIGAL BLOW, SO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT YOU FUCKING SUCK MOTHERFUCKING FAGS.
Shawn Smith Says:
You are dilusional... Tough guy with all caps. If you're that tough.......North Sunrise street in Roseville, CA. Look for the big Ultimate Training Center sign..........Douche bag
dude Says:
@ Truth Serum
You can't train a glass jaw.
lsadasd Says:
hands of steel has exactly that. Benji should be glad the ref stopped it early.
Gorgzilla Says:
Ahh. I see you are still eating CAPS LOCK TROLL's bait :D
Have you never noticed that he is always in opposition to the majority? That's coz his trolling!
Stop feeding the troll:D
Anyways... That fence grap was used as leverage for a trip. Without the fence grab there would be no trip and no escape from the gillotine. There should be more than a point deduction for illegally escaping a submission. Otherwise fighters will soon be doing nutshots from the gillotione, eye-pokes from the triangle, and trying to snap fingers when caught in a choke.
So for the good of the sport... fuck the cheaters!
dugmouth Says:
he will never look like more of a whiner than what he does right now. oh benji, how far you've gone to whine....you know, like a dog.
CAPS LOCK HAL's FRIEND Says:
QUIT TYPING ON THE THE KEYBOARD AND COME BACK TO BED....
CAPS LOCK HAL's BOYFRIEND Says:
QUIT TYPING ON THE THE KEYBOARD AND COME BACK TO BED....
Anonymous Says:
this website is for GAYS
Armfarmer Says:
Benji is the new BJ
Anonymous Says:
Benji take your loss like a man, don't be a little bitch about it. you got knocked the fuck out deal with it
Tyler O. Says:
Benji stop being a bitch ass phaggit!
CAPS LOCK HAL'S NAN IN DISGUISE Says:
BITCHES!!
Anonymous Says:
The only reason he got hit in the back of the head was because he was laying face first on the mat. I don't know how much more clear cut a KO can be. It's hard to lose a fight that you're winning for the most part right up until the end. But if it had been any more clear cut, he would have been unconscious.
Anonymous Says:
26th
YouStupidBunny Says:
He should start a support group with Ken Shamrock for fighters wronged by early stops.
Cathyllove Says:
funny vid, i will uploaded this to tall dating site
---T a l l m i n g l e . c o m--- to share with my best friends,especially the hot models.
Kimbo Slice who? Says:
What's up with this spam above me! Can someone ban this bitch! and ban CAPS LOCK HAL while your at it! Thanks!
SCM Says:
lol @ K.E.G.
CAPS LOCK, your still a fucking little bitch. My offer is still in the air dumb pussy.
I hate the Diaz Brothers Says:
Nick and Nate blow each other!
Vyapaar Says:
That is very well said Adam. Completely agree.
HOW TASTES MY PEE PEE Says:
Only faggot ass HAl and Tuf guy do that 1st shit.
JB Says:
if this fight is changed to a no contest, it will be the biggest crock of commision shit since the diaz-gomi fight. what a freaking cry baby! smith holding the cage didnt change anything. and that "illegal blow" is a moot point. radach wouldnt have recovered from that shot, especially if smith would have kept hitting him.
swetard Says:
I just want to start with saying, i'm not a an mma practitioner so I can't really tell how much significance that fencegrab had.. but it sure didn't look much to me..
And then the hit to the back of the head, looked to me as Herb was already on his way to stop it before it landed..
Also I understand why it's illegal to hit the back of the head, it's just dangerous... But maybe, it should also be made illegal to turn the back of your head towards the opponents striking hand, in almost every fight when a fighter is in trouble on the ground, they keep turning their head to make the opponent unable to strike, loose a point or force a standup...
I mean thats like trying to catch knees in in the clinch with your crotch, although that takes a lot more balls... or maybe no balls at all...
Da Truth Says:
Being a Whiny Crybaby Bitch dosnt win You any friends or admirers ANYWHERE..
what a chump...