NM AC suspends Jason High for one year, Sanchez decision stands

At UFC Fight Night 42 on June 7, Jason High felt referee Kevin Mulhall stopped the fight prematurely in awarding the fight to Rafael Dos Anjos. A furious High then shoved Mulhall.

Incredibly sorry & embarrassed for the ref incident, High tweeted afterwards. Will never happen again.

High also apologized in person.

Unmoved, UFC president Dana White subsequently released High from his contract.

I guess that Jason High kid got up and pushed a referee,” said White on UFC.com “He’s cut. I’m going to cut him. I look at that the way Daley put his hands on his opponent after a fight was over. You don’t ever, ever f—ing touch a referee, ever. You’re done here. He’s been apologizing on Twitter, but he’s done.

Now at a special meeting on Wednesday night, New Mexico State Athletic Commission chairman Tom King has suspended High for a year, and find him 10% of his purse ($1,900).

He apologized to the referee and got on Twitter,” said King. “That’s why it’s only a year. You do not hit or push an official ever and certainly not in New Mexico.”

High has the right to appeal, something his manager Mike Kogan told Ariel Helwani he would do.

King also said there was nothing in the commission’s rules that would allow for a controversial decision to be overturned, as was the case when hometown favorite Diego Sanchez won a split decision over Ross Pearson. He did say he would speak with the judges in question as to why the scored the fight the way they did, and would look to judge the judges better going forward.