Dana White finds ref he hates worse than Mazzagatti

Being a fight referee is the most thankless job in mixed martial arts. No one ever thought their favorite fighter won due to a ref, and countless fans blame the ref for loss on any given Saturday. No ref in MMA has withstood as much criticism as has Steve Mazzagatti.

“Mazzagatti, as a referee?” UFC President Dana White said in 2009. “This f—ing guy shouldn’t even be watching MMA on TV, let alone refereeing it. I think he’s the worst ref in the history of any fight business, ever. He’s horrible. We don’t pick the refs. The athletic commission does. Those guys are picked by the government. It’s not that I don’t like him, he’s a nice guy. He’s an absolute nice guy, he has no business whatsoever being anywhere near mixed martial arts.”

However, the Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight led White, a huge boxing fan, to declare via twitter that Mazzagatti no longer holds that distinction in his mind. The mantle has been taken by boxing referee Joe Cortez.

Was that NUTS or what!?!? Dirty from both fighters and the most HORRIBLE refereeing I have EVER seen in boxing or anywhere else!

Ref never sent a fighter to a neutral corner to take a point. Especially after a intentional head butt! That’s why u have a ref!!!!

You can’t blame the fighters. The ref is in there to stop that shit from happening! That is the worst ref’n I have ever seen in boxing EVER

ref blew a MULTI MILLION dollar fight last nite.

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Cortez defended himself in a post fight interview:

“I had already ordered them to continue fighting and the clock was running, but Ortiz wanted to apologize again and he was off guard. Mayweather, who is more experienced, he took advantage, but did nothing illegal. Nowhere is there a rule that says the boxer has to apologize and hug the other fighter and do it at least two or three times.

“If you get ordered to fight and the clock is running, you have to fight. Ortiz’s inexperience cost him the fight.”

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