Cutman Jacob "Stitch" Duran says he was the one who pushed for Nate Diaz’s bout with Mike Perry to be stopped after assessing the damage Diaz had sustained at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Duran, who was at the event specifically to work the corners of Team Diaz, advised the referee and cageside doctor to wave off the fight due to excessive bleeding and multiple injuries. "He ended up with 15 staples, 20 stitches all together," Duran said, noting Diaz’s cuts and ongoing blood loss.
Describing what he saw in the corner, Duran recalled, "He was beat up. He was too strong for him. I always look at it as a judge, and at that point, he was getting his ass whooped. Mike was just too strong, too aggressive and he was working him. Then, Nate broke his finger right about here. He said, 'I couldn't do nothing.' The cuts were so big here, it kept pulsating. It kept going and then his nose kept bleeding. It was the sign of maybe a broken nose. I told Nate, 'I'm going to have the doctor stop the fight, man.' I said, 'It's too much blood and you keep bleeding.' The referee said, 'Come on, let's go.' I said, 'No, no, no. He's not going out.'"
The crowd at Intuit Dome booed the call in the moment, but Duran says Diaz later showed appreciation. "Nate thanked me," Duran said, adding that he also heard from boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera: "I got a message from Marco Antonio Barrera from Guadalajara. He thanked me. He said great job. I got a lot of compliments from guys within the industry. They understand. My only job is to give that guy one more round and if he can't go one more round, to take care of him. So I'm glad I was there for Nate."
