‘It goes with the territory. Expected and accepted’. These are words of Marc Goddard in response to his critics on social media. The veteran referee was in the middle of a controversial late stoppage at UFC 204.
The British official was the third man in the cage for the featured UFC Fight Pass Prelim bout between Mike Perry and Danny Roberts on Saturday.
The pivotal moment in the brutal back-and-forth battle came in the third round, when Perry hit Roberts with a hard knee and a left hook to the temple. This immediately floored Roberts who looked to be unconscious as he hit the mat. Perry followed up with three big punches on the ground before the veteran referee stopped the fight.
The knockout came in the final minute of the round.
The follow-up damage Roberts took has seen an outcry on social media, with many questioning why the IMMAF Technical Committee Member did not stop the fight sooner.
The experienced ex-fighter answered back on Sunday afternoon over social media, claiming: “It breaks my heart to think that a fighter had incurred even one shot they shot they shouldn’t have.”
Read the full statement from Marc Goddard below.
