Yves Lavigne seemingly has the world’s coolest hobby, working as an MMA referee, officiating fights in organizations like the UFC. I spoke with him at the Ringside 10 press conference. (14:15, in 3 parts)
Yves Lavigne, slightly less recognizable with his glasses on. Photo by Matthew Consalvo
In Part 1 of the interview, we discuss his beginnings in the sport, how UFC 1 inspired him, the art of not blocking camera angles while in the cage, getting help from ‘Big’ John McCarthy, and how he stays up to date on the sport while staying neutral.
In Part 2, he told me about the fabricated interview that’s damaged his career, why he decided not to sue, and how close he was to stopping the UFC 125 Edgar–Maynard fight in Round 1.
In Part 3, he spoke of the controversial stops he made in the Matt Brown–Pete Sell, and Matt Wiman–Mac Danzig fights, refereeing the Wanderlei Silva–‘Rampage’ Jackson fight, not stopping Josh Koscheck and Chris Lytle’s bloody encounter, and resisting the fan’s pressure to restart fights whenever they get boring.
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