By Canadian Press

The man in the middle: A look at MMA referee Jerin Valel’s fight night routine

Jan 19, 2024 | 7:19 AM

TORONTO — Winnipeg’s Jerin Valel is one of four Canadian referees working Saturday night at UFC 297 in Toronto. A look at his routine:

Referees like Valel are hired and supervised by the local commission, not the promoter. In Canada that means provincial commissions with the exception of Alberta which has several municipal regulators.

They are paid by the commission, although sometimes the money can go through the promoter. The funds to pay them usually come from the fees the promoter pays to the local commission.

The pay differs according to jurisdiction, Valel said.

For UFC cards in places outside of North America where there is no local commission, the promotion can run the show.

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Valel usually arrives in town the day before the card but says he may not know which bouts he will be overseeing until the day of. While his preference is to know further in advance to familiarize himself with the style of fighter he will be overseeing in the bout, he has a good handle on most competitors given his experience in the sport.

In some cases, he is asked to attend the rules meeting with the fighters before the card. Often one referee is selected to attend the weigh-ins and rules meeting.

The night of the fights, Valel likes to meet in advance with every fighter and coach he will ref, to go over instructions he might give (and in what language or who will serve as interpreter) as well as other possible issues or situations.

“We have that intimate, private conversation in the back with every single fighter and coach … so that they can focus on fighting and hopefully we as referees really don’t need to get involved,” he said.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2024

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press