Interview With Cory Bowks MMA Referee

Have you ever wondered about the third person that is in the cage? No we are not talking about anyone’s imaginary friend that may accompany you where ever you go, we are talking about the third person that makes the tough calls, the person that make sure everyone is safe all the while staying on their toes to keep a good vantage point to see what is going on in the cage. Yes we are talking about the referee’s that we love, and some may not like because of calls that had to be made, whatever the case we have something special today, as we get a brief look at Cory Bowks, professional MMA referee since 2009 (outside of New York State) and Amateur MMA referee in New York since 2010. Now Cory just isn’t the man making the calls in the cage as he is also a tattoo artist (since 2004) that loves to draw and spend time with his family and let’s not forget he makes the time to train in the sport he loves so much MMA.

So without further ado, here is what Cory had to say to the questions we asked him:

Have you ever been hit while in the cage?

No

Have you ever been injured?

No

Are you ever afraid in the cage?

No

What is the biggest mistake a referee can make?

Not having good positioning.

Have you ever had any problems with fighters not listening to you?

No

How often do fighters feel that there was an early stoppage, and how do you justify yourself against these accusations? Do you stop sooner for less experienced fighters or do your judgements apply to all skill levels?

It doesn’t happen often and when it does it’s usually when a fighter is dazed and coming to. There is no justification because the referee has the final judgment call but sometimes the commission will review some of the fights with me after the fight so they understand why I made some of my calls. Fighter safety is the most priority so for AMA bouts I may stop the fights a little early but for PRO I try to give each fighter a little longer due to skill level.

What do you focus on when you’re in the ring, can you hear what the corners are saying, are you able to block out the fans and are there any signs not obvious to those of us watching from afar that indicate when a fight is about to come to an end?

I focus mainly on the fighters safety and make sure they follow all the rules, I also have to focus on the 10 second warnings and if the corner men throw in the towel. I block out the fans completely, you will see me get closer to the fighters and give verbal shouts to them.

Do you watch tape on fighters before getting into the cage? In other words does it help to know what to expect and what they’re capable of or is it better to go in without any biases?

I don’t watch tape on the fighters because it allows me to go into a fight completely unbiased.

What was the scariest thing to ever happen to you or a fighter while you were in the cage?

Nothing scary has happened yet but if I keep well trained in MMA and the medical field I should be prepared for the worst, but don’t get me wrong I still get some butterflies when going in to the cage if I didn’t I would be human.

When MMA is finally legalized in New York will you remain an amateur ref our would you like to move up and go pro?

My ultimate goal is to become a full time AMA and PRO MMA Referee in and outside NY.

We would like to thank Cory for taking his time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions, to follow Cory on Facebook here is the link to his Facebook page. Cory will be refereeing next at Cage Wars 19, May 11th 2013 at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany NY, and just a little food for thought when you are watching the action in the cage be mindful of the referee’s that are in there keeping everyone safe and making the calls we may not see. Our hats off to all the great referee’s out there!

Interview With Cory Bowks MMA Referee