03/31/2014

By: Jason Kelly

 

The debate of good fighter, referee, coach or whoever it may be often comes into discussion, but what is it that makes a good cutman?

 

Dean Lassiter (Twitter: @CarCrashCutMan) has been with Bellator since the promotion's thirteenth event, caring for combatants, week after week, during the organization's seasons. He is placed in the blue corner, just outside the cage, ready to assist whoever gets the pleasure of having him on their side.

 

While coaches focus on advantageous and disadvantageous positions to make their fighter better, and fans watch to cheer their favorite combatant on, Lassiter looks upon to ensure that in the short 60 seconds between rounds he can help his fighter continue to the best of their ability.

 

There are plenty of matches that are significant in Bellator's history, but Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler, in their first or second meeting, are paramount bouts for the organization. Most of us discuss different aspects of those bouts while we relive them, heck, even as we watched live. However, Lassiter kept a just as keen an eye on the match from a different perspective.

 

"Everybody talks about such a great fight and who you thought won what rounds, and stuff like that," Lassiter told Jason Kelly and Joe Rizzo on MMA on MnA Sports Radio. "As a cutman, we don't get the luxury of watching the fight. We're watching the fighter. We're watching one fighter. Our job is to make sure his safety comes first, make sure he can continue to fight as safe as possible. So, we don't even get to watch the fight for the fight value. We're watching solely for injuries and anyway that we can help our fighter in the fight. Give him one more round, give him that chance to get out there and leave everything he has. Win, lose or draw. That's our job as cutmen."

 

The occupation of a cutman is a gutsy one for a couple of reasons. One, they take on the responsibility of the fighter's safety moving forward between rounds. That is an entrusting role to assume. Two, well, their job title is "cutman." It's just that. They are the individuals that care for cuts, swelling, abrasions, hematomas and other ghastly injuries that are critical to a fighter's success when in combat.

 

That is only what Lassiter's job entails on fight night. There is also a great ordeal of homework that his occupation requires ahead of the bouts he works, and these intricacies lead to being a good cutman.

 

"I know them, I study their face structures, I know who cuts easy," Lassiter said. "There's some guys that walk to the cage bleeding. It's awesome. Those are the guys I want in my corner, by the way. As you're greasing him and you're talking to him, you're studying. You're studying your work. you want to be the best you can.

 

"As cutmen, out of all that do it, there's very few that are good at it. There's an elite few, that under any circumstance can do it. Try to do it in a world championship fight, your guy's bleeding all over, it's affecting him, he's got a swollen eye, you got two enswells going, a swab going. It's easy when somebody's got one little cut. Put someone in the Jamie Jara fight (against Waachiim Spiritwolf), with six cuts. Then you see what you are as a cutman."