The UFC 235 event scheduled for March 2nd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was witness to arguably one of the most impressive cards in recent UFC history. With a fight card featuring some of the most elite UFC martial artists like Jon Jones, Anthony Smith, Kamaru Usman, and Tyron Woodley, fans were sure to be exorbitantly engaged with especially both the co-main and main events. However, amidst all the blood, guts and glory that was on display last Saturday night, something bizarre caught the attention of many critiques of the sport.
Following a ‘controversial’ submission win for Ben Askren in his welterweight clash against ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler, the stage was now set for a championship contest between former UFC champion, Tyron Woodley, and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ Kamaru Usman. From the outset, Usman seemed to be heavily dictating the proceedings of the fight by clearly outclassing Woodley on both feet and ground.
As the events of the fight played on, referee in charge, Marc Goddard, was seen persuading Usman to his feet, even with the latter’s supremacy on the ground. Given the context and importance of a championship matchup between two top-level contenders, the incident seemed to take many watching, by surprise. After the fight, UFC commentator Jon Anik and referee Marc Goddard seemed to have entered a scuffle of sorts on social media. Here! Take a look for yourself!
What do you guys think of Marc Goddard and his constant standing up of Woodley/Usman and Dean's allowing Jones/Smith grind it out? #MMAHour @MMAFighting
— Darryl Fitzgerald (@CanadianBowler) March 3, 2019
The only thing wildly inconsistent is your and your co-comms recollection and observation of ACTUAL events. I’ll save my side for later. https://t.co/WOQqwexqrK
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) March 4, 2019
The only thing wildly inconsistent is your and your co-comms recollection and observation of ACTUAL events. I’ll save my side for later. https://t.co/WOQqwexqrK
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) March 4, 2019
However, in Goddard’s defense, UFC commentator Dan Hardy had the following to say in regards to the matter on ‘The Luke Thomas MMA Show’
What did referee Mark Goddard mean when he said, “It’s a fight,” to Kamaru Usman? @danhardymma shares his thoughts on how Goddard handled the action in the fight #TLTS @lthomasnews pic.twitter.com/lMJ2uPg9CS
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) March 5, 2019
Over the years, mixed martial arts has evolved in leaps and bounds, in turn making sound judgment by referees an absolute necessity of the sport. But with that being said, many experts of the fight game continue to believe that referees must be allowed to exercise their due diligence, particularly during championship MMA bouts.
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