Referee Jason Herzog had to answer his bizarre performance at UFC Abu Dhabi after he allowed a record -breaking beating much longer than necessary.
Steven Nguyen scored a stunning six official knockdowns, and two more that were not officially marked, on Mohammad Yahya during a UFC Abu Dhabi Prelim Bout. Herzog, however, refused to stop the fight and needed a doctor to call it off because of massive swelling on Yahya's eye.
Viewers were disgusting of the refusal of the referee to call a stop at the match, with many who called him to be dismissed from his old role. And although that probably won't happen, he had to answer Andy Foster of the California State Athletic Commission, who didn't even sanction the match.
UFC Abu Dhabi referee had to answer the boss of the top committee
The performance of Jason Herzog during that UFC Abu Dhabi fight was so worrying that the California State Athletic Commission -Baas Andy Foster discussed himself. The couple spoke it and Herzog is expected to continue with referee at the highest level over the areas of law.
“Jason Herzog is one of the best referees in the world, so it's a bit of a difficult conversation,” Foster told Ariel Helwani during his show Tuesday. “Look, I have to have that kind of conversations with someone, even if it is Jason Herzog or anyone else.
“The hope is that he can learn from this and not let it happen anymore. I understand that it is now rough on Jason, but hopefully every referee in the country and the world will learn and not let this happen, I think six knockdowns are a bit more than than [necessary].
“It is clearly the quality of the knockdown and whatever, but when you're talking about boxing, we do 10-6 [scorecards] But it is not that often good. They are a bit of different sports and there are more knockdowns, but four, five and six were quite important knockdowns and I would like to claim that with someone.
“I think that [Herzog] Has looked at the fight and he understands what he should do. I have a total confidence in Jason Herzog, he is on an upcoming fight in California and I think that when you do so many fights, you can make mistakes from time to time.
“I have totally faith in him and we will continue to use him. I don't believe that Jason will make this mistake in the future and I don't think other referees will make this mistake in the future.”
Fans wanted UFC Abu Dhabi referee to be dismissed after his performance
There was indignation on social media after the fight, especially when images emerged from the face of Yahya, which fortunately was only swelling and not serious damage to his orbital bone. Fans wanted herzog to be cut from completely referee, which now seems unlikely.
“The referee must be held responsible for this, he should have stopped the fight in the first round,” wrote a fan on X. “Get Jason Herzog out of the sport. He has no idea. The best referee in the absolute worst of the worst,” added another.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
UFC officials also had conversations with Herzog after the fact, in which executive Dave Shaw told the media: “We then spoke with Herzog and he noticed that there were moments in the fight where Yahya looked like he was immediately.
“So he would be knocked down, he would be knocked down quickly, I think there might have been five in the first round, maybe two more in the second and then I think how quickly his eye changed and swollen.
“I mean, what do I think? I think there was certainly a solid argument that the fight could have been called earlier, but (Herzog) took care of his justification and it seemed fine to me.”