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.
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“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.
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.
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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.
