Kaan Ofli may have scored the victory at UFC Rio, defeating Ricardo Ramos, but it didn’t come without much controversy following several missed fence grab calls.
Just seconds into the fight, Ricardo Ramos had Kaan Ofli against the fence, threatening a kneebar. Ofli’s defenses, however, saw him grab the fence multiple times. None of the fence grabs, however, were penalized, or even seemingly noticed, by veteran referee Marc Goddard.
Ofli would then work his way out of Ramos’ submission attempts before getting to the back in a backpack position. That’s where Ofli managed to lock up a choke to score the tapout, to the boos of the Brazilian crowd that rained down.
Kaan Ofli Scores Controversial First-Round Submission Of Ricardo Ramos At UFC Rio
Kaan Ofli chokes Ramos for the finish.
Grabbed the fence multiple times though, as he was defending the leg lock, adjusting his position, and toes in the fence when he had the back.
Ofli now scores the first win in his UFC career after losses to Mairon Santos and Muhammad Naimov, the former coming in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter season 32.
Ramos has now lost four of his last five and is 3-6 in his last nine fights.
Marc Goddard finds support from a fellow community member in the wake of the recent fight dispute.
Last week, in the UFC 319 main event, Khamzat Chimaev overpowered Dricus Du Plessis to claim the middleweight title with a one-sided unanimous decision.
“Borz” overwhelmed Du Plessis throughout the fight, dictating the action with constant chain wrestling and suffocating top control. He landed 12 takedowns, repeatedly trapping the defending champion in crucifix positions and keeping him on the defensive for most of the bout.
Image: @ufc/X
Late in the fourth round, referee Goddard stepped in to separate Chimaev from “Stillknocks,” seemingly due to a stalemate. The 51-year-old official made a second stand-up late in the final frame, a decision that has ignited widespread debate within the MMA community, drawing criticism from former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and other pundits.
Herb Dean Defends Marc Goddard Amid Debate Over UFC 319 Headliner Intervention
During a recent interview with MMA journalist Helen Yee, veteran referee Herb Dean weighed in on Marc Goddard’s decision to separate Khamzat Chimaev from Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319. While Dean acknowledged that “Borz” was clearly dominating, he defended his fellow official, noting that MMA should not reward fighters who simply hold dominant positions without actively pursuing a finish.
According to Dean, stand-ups in such scenarios are appropriate to keep the action flowing and preserve the excitement of the sport.
“I don’t think anything was wrong with his [Marc Goddard] standups, Dean said. “Khamzat dominated the fight round. This is an ongoing conversation that stakeholders and everyone in the sport has, but what do we want this sport to look like? Do we want people to achieve a dominant position, which, if you’re not using it to beat your opponent, could almost be looked at as a hiding place, as a place to burn time? And I’m never gonna accuse Khamzat of hiding because, I mean, the man’s a savage.
“But if you get a position, we can break that one down, the crucifix chest-to-chest position, not a lot of height, very difficult to get to a place where you can punch your opponent. Sometimes he’s able to get elbows, and you want to reward people. But we can talk about 10-8 [round], and at the same time you want to reward someone with a 10-8 for trying to finish their opponent, for taking a risk… I’m okay with those standups that Marc Goddard did.”
Goddard, with over two decades of officiating experience, has established himself as one of MMA’s most respected referees, having overseen hundreds of high-profile bouts in the UFC and other major promotions.
Scoring and controversy go hand in hand in MMA. The sport is still relatively new, and tons of decisions over the years have left the fans divided, enraged, and dissatisfied, among other things.
From Dominick Reyes losing against Jon Jones to Paddy Pimblett getting the nod against Jared Gordon, there are countless examples of controversial MMA decisions. Such incidents can occur at an amateur event as well as during a UFC title fight, which explains why the MMA community expects the scoring system to get more objective.
Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks is easily one of the most questioned decisions ever, and Marc Goddard broke it down to explain how scorecards in MMA can vary greatly…
Marc Goddard Reveals Unnoticed Factor That Made Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks A Split Decision From Unanimous
Goddard recently appeared on the talkSPORT MMA YouTube channel to deliver a masterclass on MMA scoring. When asked about judges having contradictory scorecards after a fight, the renowned referee brought up GSP’s last defense of the UFC welterweight title before leaving the sport temporarily.
Goddard started by explaining that 15 scores had to be submitted by three judges across the five rounds between St-Pierre and Hendricks. Fourteen of these 15 scorecards were identical. One judge scored the first round for Hendricks, which turned the majority decision into a split one.
“It’s perfectly understandable why he scored it that way because if you look at the fight and you’ll see there’s a certain point in the first round when Johny’s against the cage. He’s defending a double leg, George is in on a double with him and he throws a series of elbows and you know yourself, being elbowed in the head is not a nice experience and depending on what’s between your ears, that can make a hollow sound or a dull sound. But you look, it was a series of elbows, he was physically marked up by them. And if you look, go back and watch that fight, and as you see those elbows come in, who’s the judge that sat right underneath where they’re happening, Nelson ‘Doc’ Hamilton. And he saw something which was used in his. It was a close round, but at that point, it was enough to swing him.”
Goddard pointed out that the judge who scored the first round for Hendricks (the ref says it’s Nelson Hamilton mistakenly, but it was Glenn Trowbridge) was seated right next to the fighters during the sequence when “Big Rig” landed some vicious elbows on GSP while defending a double leg. According to the referee, the impact of these elbows would’ve been obvious to one judge in a way it wasn’t for the other two.
By using this example, Goddard wanted to point out how real-time scoring is very different from what the fans see. Based on their sitting position, all judges get a different viewing angle and hear differently which naturally affects their decisions.
The acclaimed MMA figure further explained that in contrast to popular understanding, a split decision signifies a close fight. However, because fans have usually placed bets and they’re very passionate about their favorites, split decisions are often instantly seen as robberies.
“There’s so many factors that come into play when you’re looking at MMA, not just on the highest level. This is regardless of level. There’s so many factors, line of site, your view, how you hear things, how you see things, etc,” Goddard continued, “You know, obviously, if you’re cut or swollen during the fight, the judges can see it. All these factors mate and it’s so like, like I said when the public jump on something because of it’s something they heard and obviously all their misunderstanding on top of that, it just snowballs and exasperates it. And it’s mindblowing!”
By bringing up several minor factors that MMA fans ignore as viewers, Goddard aimed to highlight how likely it is for scorecards to be different, especially in close fights. However, the popular sentiment is that scorecards should be unanimous in most cases and a split decision means that at least one judge got it wrong.
Marc Goddard recently provided an in-depth explanation of how takedowns are evaluated in MMA fights.
The value of takedowns in the estimation of MMA judges remains a very polarizing and complex issue, especially considering that judging is one of the most crucial elements of the sport.
With over 20 years of experience, Goddard has solidified his status as one of the most venerable referees in MMA, having officiated numerous marquee matchups in the UFC and other top promotions. Considering his extensive background, it’s evident that the 50-year-old official has a nuanced understanding of the ins and outs of the game.
Goddard Outlines How MMA Judges Focus On Inflicted Damage When Scoring Fights
During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Goddard was prompted to elaborate on the influence of takedowns on judges’ scoring in an MMA bout. The renowned referee pointed out the absurdity of the belief that simply scoring a takedown and finishing a round on top guarantees a fighter wins that round. He emphasized that not all takedowns carry the same weight and that judges perceive them differently.
“People think that if you finish the round on top or you take someone down that you’ve won the round; it’s so absurd,” Goddard said. “Not all takedowns are the same, obviously, as not all punches and not all kicks are the same. So if I take you down, if I just run into you and bundle you to the ground and I land in a closed guard or a half guard, yes, it’s an offensive action; yes, it can be given some credit, but it bears absolutely no significance compared to somebody who, like I said, comes back to the effectiveness, the damage, and the impact.”
Goddard elaborated that in a fight, judges hone in on the damage a fighter inflicts on their opponent, viewing it as the primary metric for scoring while everything else merely serves as a supporting detail – even in the context of a takedown.
Meaning, the type of takedown is considered by judges.
“If I clinch with you and I hip tie you or suplex you over my head and slam you or bang you into that mat with impact, again, that could outdo 12 or f**king 13 outside bundles or trips you had before when we fight. Make no mistake about it; the number one criterion, the preeminent factor that a judge will consider, is damage. That’s what it is. It used to be the word ‘impact’; they never liked the word ‘damage,’ but let’s be honest: you’re in a fight, and my job is to damage you within the realms of the rules to render you potentially unable to continue in that fight anymore.”
As a veteran referee, Marc Goddard has been the third man in the Octagon for some of the most iconic UFC fights of all time.
He’s seen his fair share of show stealing knockouts, jaw dropping comebacks and epic encounters that fans will talk about for decades to come.
During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Goddard spoke about some of the most memorable fights that he has officiated.
Find any interview with the Brit talking about this specific question and he always gives the same answer, taking you back to one night in Atlanta, Georgia.
Marc Goddard Talks About When Israel Adesanya & Kelvin Gastelum Pushed Each Other To The Limit
At UFC 236, the co-main event of the evening was the highlight of the night even when it was followed by Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway 2.
Israel Adesanya met Kelvin Gastelum with the interim middleweight title on the line and the pair produced an all-time classic.
This one will always stand out to Goddard when he looks back on all of the fights that he has played a part in, he said.
“Then number one is, every day of the week, twice on a Sunday, is Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum.
“You find one moment in your life when you think, ‘I’m not going to go away’. In this fight, you had two guys in the exact same moment that wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t believe what I was watching unfold in front of me. I remember that there’s a clip at the beginning of the fifth round and Israel’s looking across him saying, ‘I’m prepared to die.’ Now I didn’t, I’m not looking at this, I’d seen it afterwards but honestly mate, that fight when you got two fighters that went into the deepest, darkest depths of their soul and they went into the deepest, darkest waters imaginable or possible in a fight and I was right alongside them, standing three-foot away, witnessing this unfold.”
Goddard also said that the fight produced an emotional moment both on that night and when he watches the fight back, after seeing how far both men were able to push each other.
“As soon as I know they’re safe, I f****** run off with my head in hands and I won’t be ashamed to say, I’ve cried after that fight watching it back because it was ungodly what those guys did. It was ungodly.”
“Big” John McCarthy recently shared his two cents on Marc Goddard’s decision to step down from officiating Leon Edwards’ fights, praising it as a wise and commendable move.
Goddard revealed that he was “Rocky’s” first MMA coach and wants to avoid any accusations of bias towards his former tutee, highlighting his commitment to maintaining impartiality.
Marc Goddard reveals why he’ll never referee a Leon Edwards fight. 👀
— OverDogs Podcast (@OverDogsPodcast) July 7, 2024
The Brit referee has a storied career in MMA, boasting over two decades of experience both officiating and fighting. Goddard is a highly esteemed referee who has officiated numerous marquee bouts in the UFC and other top promotions.
McCarthy, a titan in the realm of MMA refereeing, hailed Goddard’s decision and offered his own insights on the perspectives of officiating a close friend’s fight…
McCarthy Endorses Decision to Avoid Officiating a Friend’s Fight
During a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast with former UFC lightweight contender Josh Thomson, McCarthy recounted his encounters with the unique challenges of officiating fights involving fighters with whom he shared close personal bonds, while praising Goddard for his stance.
“It’s the right decision,” McCarthy said. “The real decision is that you try to take yourself out of situations that can put you into an area where someone can make a claim. And claims don’t mean sh*t, but they’re going to make them.”
“Big John” revealed that he had a close friendship with MMA legends Royce Gracie and Tim Sylvia, yet found himself officiating their bouts due to commission mandates.
The former UFC referee admitted he was initially reluctant to oversee those fights but couldn’t decline. He consistently made it a point to inform the commissions and MMA promotion about his camaraderie with the fighters.
“You have to just be honest and say, ‘Can you be fair?’ You’re always going to get someone who’s gonna say you’re not fair.”
Marc Goddard recently said that MMA judging is at its peak, emphasizing that officials consistently deliver genuine decisions regardless of popular opinion.
MMA judging has long been a contentious issue within the sport. Critics argue that some cageside scorers fail to adhere to established criteria, lack sufficient experience in the sport, and occasionally render questionable decisions.
Claims of a misaligned scoring system and lack of quality control in judge training and selection contribute to the ongoing controversy, making it a recurring issue at many events.
With his extensive background, it’s reasonable to assume that Goddard has a profound grasp of the operations and the mindset required to accurately score a fight.
And the Brit maintains that MMA judging has reached new heights of sophistication…
Goddard Asserts ‘Misconceptions’ Have Tainted MMA Officiating
During a recent interview on the Overdogs Podcast, Goddard was asked to share his thoughts on some of the significant errors and contentious calls by MMA judges in recent times.
The UK-based MMA referee responded by highlighting his extensive experience in judging numerous fights and his role in educating newcomers about the intricacies of judging.
“Of course, I am a judge; I do judge. I teach judges. I teach referees and judges.”
Goddard added that although judging has markedly improved recently, controversial decisions are an unavoidable aspect of the sport. However, he pointed out that the most significant challenges in MMA judging arise from widespread misunderstandings and fan biases, which muddle the perception of fairness in officiating.
“Despite what people think, judging now and MMA officiating now is better than it’s ever been. Yes, you’re going to get contentious decisions, and yes, you’re gonna get — but one of the biggest problems we have with MMA judging is misconception. People hear things in certain ways, and they just dive into a rabbit hole with them. They take no time to understand. … And that’s what frustates me and my colleagues.”
In addition to his role as an MMA referee, Goddard is a former practitioner and submission grappler who competed in 14 heavyweight matches during his five-year fighting career.
He concluded his competitive journey with a record of 7-6-1 before retiring from active competition in 2008. Furthermore, he holds a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
When a big UFC main event is about to begin, you’re guaranteed to see one of just a few of the recognizable top officials in the sport standing between the fighters.
Marc Goddard has been one of the staple referees working in the sport for some time now and is a former ‘Referee of the Year’ winner at the Annual MMA Awards.
Despite being such a prominent fixture of the biggest events of the year, there are some occasions where the Brit has decided to remove himself from the equation for various reasons.
Having been in and around the sport for such a long time, it’s only natural that you’re going to build connections with certain fighters or teams that may effect your ability to remain impartial.
Marc Goddard Says You Never Have & Never Will See Him Referee A Leon Edwards Fight
During a recent and rare podcast appearance, Goddard spoke about one of his only exceptions to officiating a fight on the Overdogs Podcast.
He noted that fans will never see him be the third man in the cage when a current UFC champion is in action because of his ties to that fighter.
With that in mind, you can expect to see a name like Herb Dean or Jason Herzog in the Octagon for the upcoming main event of UFC 304…
“Leon Edwards, you’ve never saw me referee Leon Edwards in the UFC and you never will. Why? Because I was Leon Edwards’ first coach in MMA way back when, when he was just an amateur. But again, the common sense element for me…you never saw me referee him and you never will because we’ll just keep it out the way.
“I just don’t want any hassle and I don’t want to be put in a predicament where I’m making a call that could go against him, so it’s both ways.”
He gave the example of how he withdrew from being the official for Israel Adesanya’s rematch with Alex Pereira last April in Miami.
Goddard gave the reason that after Adesanya wasn’t satisfied with the stoppage of his first encounter with Pereira five months prior, the official didn’t want this to have any impact on the challenger in the second fight.
One of the most prominent referees in the sport of MMA has launched a program to teach people how to judge and officiate fights.
Marc Goddard recently launched his online training series, which aims to offer a “line by line” breakdown of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The videos look at the rules through the lens of officiating a fight or being a judge for a fight.
Goddard hopes that the series can help people understand the rules that MMA utilizes. The unified rules are free online and accessible to anyone. However, Goddard thinks his series can further people’s understanding of the information.
“There is a huge difference between reading something and actually understanding something,” Goddard said on The MMA Hour. “Having the sit-down, the classroom environment, getting that theoretical knowledge explained to you and broken down in great detail. That’s essentially what the training is.”
“Refereeing and judging, it’s something people think you can just have a go at, and it’s not. It’s the same as any other profession”
Goddard: Program Can Help Anyone Involved With MMA
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Goddard’s program does not make fighters qualified to officiate or judge upon completion. However, that’s not the point of the program. As Goddard explained in a video posted on his website, the series can help enlighten people on the systems that MMA operates under no matter what angle they are coming from.
“The content is available for just about everybody and anybody. Of course, would be officials, but [also] coaches and fighters in the sport, promoters, commentators, and media members,” said Goddard in a Q&A video. “The unified rules for mixed martial arts should be more accessible, and that is exactly what this program offers and does.”
Goddard is one of the bigger names in the MMA refereeing community. He frequently appears at UFC events and oversees some of the bigger fights in the sport. Last month, he officiated the upset win for Julianna Peña over Amanda Nunes.
Do you think the MMA community needs to know more about the unified rules?
Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz cleared the air on his UFC 269 post-fight remarks that he was happy with referee Marc Goddard.
Cruz’s praise of Goddard was particularly notable after he blasted Keith Peterson following his loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 249. He lost to Cejudo via TKO after Cruz suffered heavy blows on the ground and the feet, though he claimed he was still defending himself.
Cruz’s wishes for not having Peterson officiate his next fights were granted in recent wins over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz. Following his win over Munhoz, Cruz praised Goddard for allowing him to continue fighting through an early barrage.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Cruz denied that praising Goddard was in some way an indirect slight at Peterson.
“I gave kudos to Marc Goddard and the Las Vegas commission for the great job they did with the show,” Cruz said. “And I heard it in that moment in the interview. He said, ‘Well, look, you took a stab at Keith Peterson, I noticed, and you gave kudos to Marc Goddard.’ And I said, ‘Hold on one second. That’s exactly what happened with me and Cormier right there,’ is whatever got said you can twist it and hear your interpretation and write a headline that everyone’s gonna click.
“That’s the world we live in today,” Cruz continued. “But the truth is I never said (anything) about Keith Peterson. You did. And I gave kudos to Marc Goddard and that got turned into me talking bad about Keith Peterson? How does that happen?”
Dominick Cruz Has Never Been One To Hold Back His Opinions
Along with his successes in the Octagon, Cruz has turned into arguably one of the top UFC commentators in the promotion. He’s become a main fixture of many UFC Fight Night events, especially during the UFC’s time broadcasting events at the UFC Apex.
Cruz is now much closer to re-entering the bantamweight title picture after back-to-back wins in the Octagon, and he could earn more of a spotlight if he can keep up his recent winning ways.
What are your thoughts on Dominick Cruz’s latest comments?
