I do like Versus and their overall product, but it is simply not acceptable for they and the WEC to air a fight where a fighter suffers this kind of horrible injury without acknowledging this fact and then subsequently following up with a medical update. This sport has consequences and they shouldn't be disguised for purposes of sanitized entertainment. Maggie Hendricks chimes in:
Here is the huge problem with that. This fight was on the undercard, so by the time it was broadcast, the production team knew that Galvao was taken to the hospital. It's understandable that Versus and the WEC would not want to show video of a man possibly seizing. Not only would that turn off viewers, the fighter himself probably would not want images of his reaction broadcast around the world. But it is not okay for Versus to completely ignore Galvao's injury. It could have been as simple as Todd Harris or Jens Pulver mentioning after the Galvao/Page fight aired that Galvao was taken to the hospital after his fight, and viewers should check out the WEC Web site to find out about Galvao's condition.
Fighting isn't a pretty sport. The referees are there to lessen the damage, and in that regard, Ramos failed Galvao. The cable networks and their production teams are there to show the sport, and in that regard, Versus failed you.
UPDATE By Kid Nate: Fortunately Galvao is alright after being examined at the hospital and released.
I am less critical of Referee Rafael Ramos than Hendricks is: Ramos was a little out of position and stopped the fight as soon as he had a good angle on the action. Possibly he could have done better, but I'm not in a good position to judge on that.
I couldn't agree more with Maggie's point on Versus failing the fighters and fans by not giving us an update on Galvao's condition. In 2009 there are too many ways for people to get information for a cable network and a fight promoter to conspire to sweep the ugly reality under the rug.
MMA is about people fighting. Grown men, highly trained athletes are locked in a cage trying to hurt each other. That's the reality of the sport. The beauty comes from the bravery, skill, heart, determination that the athletes display while attacking and defending. Nevertheless, sometimes a fighter is going to get hurt. When that happens the promoters and broadcasters have an obligation to report accurately on the events transpiring in the cage.
As this case shows, the truth will out remarkably quickly in the 21st Century. There's no percentage in trying to sweep reality under the rug.
