Goddard explains controversial UFC on FOX 30 main event standup
Marc Goddard: “Mr. Usman, I understand that emotion is a factor. Mr. Alvarez held the fence, clawed the ear, and then threw the 12-6 elbow. That is why the positional advantage was taken away.”
Refereeing is the most thankless job in mixed martial arts. “I won because of the ref,” said no fighter ever. However, most fighters have at some point pointed to a referee as playing a part in a loss. UFC on FOX 30 was no exception.
Eddie Alvarez had Dustin Poirrier in mount when referee Marc Goddard stood the fighters up. It was believed the stand up was due to the vestigial prohibition on 12-6 elbows. A downward elbow with an arc is allowed, while one that drops straight down is not.
Alvarez’s elbow appears to arc initially, but then drops vertically toward the target.
Totally this guy's fault pic.twitter.com/IbxUK4SXUo
— Matty Waring (@MattyWaring) July 29, 2018
Marc Goddard did not write the Unified Rules. If the prohibition is irrational, he’s not at fault; it is, in fact, his responsibility to see that the rules are followed. That said, Poirier said afterward that the elbow missed, which increased the degree of controversy, as a compelling argument can be made that the stand up played a major role in the bout outcome.
Among the most zealous complaints about the stand up came from Alvarez’s teammate Kamaru Usman.
https://twitter.com/USMAN84kg/status/1023390390290980864
Officials rarely stoop to defending their calls on the social network, but Goddard did. In so doing, he further established himself as one of the greatest referees in the sport’s history.
Mr Usman, I understand that emotion is a factor. Mr Alvarez held the fence, clawed the ear & then threw the 12-6 elbow that is why the positional advantage was taken away. As for your request, no problem that’s easily arranged. I wish you all the best in your career. Thank you. https://t.co/x3GoCEkLqi
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) July 29, 2018
Marc you’re not wrong. Obviously I’m overacting because that’s my brother Ed. There were a few questionable strikes on both ends. You still do a fine job as a ref.
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) July 29, 2018
MMA referees have an impossible task, balancing a fighter’s livelihood with that fighter’s health, in a sport that is inherently dangerous. Refs have to make decisions in a split second that are argued about for hours and days and weeks with the benefit of endless slo-mo replays. Goddard gets as close as humanly possible, and he did here once again.
If Performance of the Night bonuses were given for refereeing, Goddard would have walked away from UFC on FOX 30 $50,000 richer. Instead, he is paid less than any fighter on the card.
