Aside from making sure things run smoothly from a technical standpoint, a referee’s #1 job is prioritising the health and safety of the athletes.

That’s why we need to give a shout out to this referee named Sittichai Ineiad who was recently officiating a Muay Thai fight that resulted in a brutal knockout. As the fighter fell backwards, quick-thinking Sittichai dove to the mat to catch him before his head bounced off the canvas, possibly preventing further injury:

This ref’s reflexes are on 💯😲 pic.twitter.com/kpPGzpdLAn

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 17, 2020

What a legend. To be honest at first I wasn’t sure what was happening and thought the ref just got overexcited and his OTT fall was just a reaction to seeing a devastating knockout occur in front of him. But nope, he was just going above and beyond and being an absolute hero.

You can tell this isn’t the first time he’s done that either. His timing, his positioning, his gentle touch to ensure the fighter doesn’t have his brains scrambled by his head hitting the canvas. How can you not love it? We need more referees like this guy in boxing, MMA and everywhere else.

For the WWE referee who broke his leg in the middle of a match but still managed to make the three-count, click HERE. Also a legend.

[h/t Heavy]