Legacy FC 56 came within inches of tragedy after a referee failed to intervene long after MMA fighter Manny Vazquez was choked unconscious.
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Vazquez, Legacy's bantamweight champion at the time, lost his title to Steven Pearson following the submission defeat - but he was lucky not to lose his life.
Warning: Graphic content - Watch the disturbing footage below
Manny Vazquez vs. Steven Peterson #LegacyFC56 And the ref almost kills a fighter pic.twitter.com/NxRSzlGUyC
— Zombie Prophet (@ZPGIFs) June 25, 2016
@ZPGIFs seriously, if that guy refs another fight the commission should be disbanded.
— Greg Savage (@TheSavageTruth) June 26, 2016
@ZPGIFs stupid MF
— Hot Sauce Holtzman (@HotSauceHoltzy) June 26, 2016
@ZPGIFs @GrabakaHitman Tap tap. Taptaptaptap. Tap tap. Tap tap tap sleep. What the hell kind of referee is that?
— Krakrabbit (@RealKrakrabbit) June 26, 2016
@ZPGIFs that ref must of went to the kim windsow school of how to be a ref. WHAT A JOKE.
— marshall dye (@snackgod) June 25, 2016
@ZPGIFs @shaunalshatti Holy shit, he should never ref again. Utterly incompetent is being nice in this case.
— Jameson Ford (@jamesonford_) June 25, 2016
@ZPGIFs 13 seconds after the fighter is out, that referee should never be in the cage again.
— Sick_Puppy (@R_o_m_a_n) June 26, 2016
Thankfully, Vazquez escaped the bout without serious injury, despite visibly convulsing after the delayed submission call.