MMA is a dangerous sport. It’s built into the fabric of fighting. Two people can’t enter battle in a full contact contest – with punches, knees, kicks, elbows, and submissions – without the threat of danger. And that’s why MMA is also supposed to be a sport of checks and balances.
Fighters have rules they follow in the cage, referees are there to make sure that rules are enforced, and that fighters are kept safe. Corners watch the action, hopefully willing to step in if the referee fails to do his job. And the various regulating bodies are supposed to ensure that fighters, their corners, and the referees are all held to certain standards of training and skill.