-. His face in the image above says it all really. He is known for having a very calm demeanor, helping him remain focused and have high attention to detail during a fight. Kevin MacDonald, who stands 5-10, 160 pounds. Dominick Cruz criticizes ref Keith Peterson after UFC 249 loss to Henry Cejudo | ESPN MMA Share The "alcohol and cigarettes" quote created a storm within the MMA community as fans. Many fans put him up there with the best in the business in terms of refereeing quality. I wondered about other famous UFC refs through its history and developed a list of the 15 most famous UFC referees of all time. Promotions generally do not have a say in getting particular referees, but only some highly reputed referees get to officiate in UFC. Leon Roberts was extremely focused when refereeing, and had a reputation as one of the best UFC referees; he officiated fairly, decisively, and knew exactly how to implement the rules because of his vast experience. He was angry in the octagon already, but what he said next shined an undesired spotlight on Peterson. Dan Miragliotta is a Hall of Fame UFC referee and deserves the No-Nonsense nickname he got. He competed seven times in the UFC and challenged for the promotions welterweight championship twice. He officiated many high-profile fights, most notably the incredible showdown between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. Roberts also trained in MMA from 2002 and went on to become a black belt instructor. However, officials used by major promotions on a frequent basis often rack up more cage-time on international airwaves than the athletes they oversee. Jason High shoved Mulhall that refereed his fight against Rafael dos Anjos back in 2014. He was the UFC referee that officiated the clash between Dominick Cruz and Henry Cejudo at UFC 249. As per the definition from NSAC, a referee takes up a lot of responsibilities during the match. Bruce Buffer. His most controversial moment came in a fight between Ed Herman and Mike Rodriguez (UFC FN:177 ), in what came to be known as robbery of the year. Steve Mazzagatti stopped refereeing in 2013 after his many mistakes, and refereed just three more times in 2015, but has not officiated since. Marc has also been criticized for not owning up to mistakes and ignoring criticism. May 15, 2020 John Pollock NEWS MMA NEWS **The UFC returns Saturday night with their latest Fight Night card from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Keith Peterson. Sometimes, he stopped fights too quickly, while sometimes, he let them go on for too long, but its clear that he has all the support in the world from the UFC. They shake hands and the fight is on. Over his career, John refereed many UFC title fights and won the World MMA Referee of the Year Award 3 times. He officiated the third most UFC fights in 2021 (86) and is continuing the trend into 2022. [deleted] 1 yr. ago. However, his most controversial decision thats disputed to this day is the only loss in Jon Jones entire career a disqualification against Matt Hamill. Here, it appeared Dan gave preferential treatment to Kimbo Slice who avoided a TKO loss in the second round and went on to win by what many have called an early stoppage. After referee Keith Peterson halted the UFC 249 Bantamweight title fight between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz with two seconds remaining in the second because of a "Triple C" onslaught,. Pat Barry. Luciana Andrade. Unfortunately, hes mostly remembered for his infamous decisions, rather than the many years of selfless work he provided to the sport through refereeing and instructing. Hes a great, younger referee that still has a lot of experience in the octagon. At least it made MacDonald famous for making the worst stoppage ever, right? His family has a history involved in martial arts and he has black belts in Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which led him to found the International Yamasaki Academy; the first jiu-jitsu school open in the DC area (1995). Dominick Cruz exposed UFC referee Keith Peterson for smelling like alcohol and cigarettes in a viral video. A post shared by Jason Herzog (@jasonherzogmma). Joined: He officiates tons of fights a year for the UFC and other promotions, such as KSW, Cage Warriors, etc. Actually, I think he's the best". Dominick Cruz is not happy about the early stoppage against Cejudo, and blamed it on referee Keith Peterson being drunk and smelling cigarettes at UFC 249. Im not saying the slander wasnt justified to some extent, but I strongly believe Lavigne deserves more praise than hes getting. str. Hes famous for being a great ref, but for being the biggest ref in all MMA, too even bigger than Big John. Jon Jones knows a thing or two about MMA wrestling, so likely is qualified to speak with a little authority on other wrestlers. Cruz was out of line with his accusations. Nevertheless, this could be a good thing as it shows he doesnt get involved in media squabbles and prefers to take on criticism by continuing to referee at a top-level. Dan became a black belt in shito-ryu karate aged 18 and a 5th-degree black belt in kenpo karate and later became a senior muay thai instructor. Yaroslav Amosov leaves the battlefields of Ukraine to become Bellator world champion in Dublin Peter Queally targets crucial victory on huge night for Irish MMA in Dublin Many believe its Anik who gave him the name no nonsense Keith Peterson, referring to Keiths demeanor. 0:33 Time format: 3 Rnd + OT (5-5-5-5) Referee: Keith Peterson Details: Punch to Head At Distance Totals Fighter KD Sig. The legendary Canadian UFC referee officiated dozens of fights and became famous for his decisiveness, even in controversial situations. (Benefits Examined), What Is the UFC Glove Weight? A post shared by herbdeanmma (@herbdeanmma). Besides this, Rosenthal was a great referee with a pristine record. Cruz was making his first Octagon appearance in more than three years at UFC 249. The sport came under the spotlight in April 2016 following the tragic death of Carvalho in Dublin. He retired from competition in 2011 and debuted as a referee in 2014. Cruz pulled no punches as he blasted. The third man in the cage isnt why the masses tune in to watch fights. He slightly stumbled and was furious when MacDonald decided to end the fight. Some fans questioned his reaction quickness, but he hasnt had any major lapses in his career even though he is a very frequent referee in UFC, Bellator, and other promotions. What made Big John so famous is his expertise and professionalism in the cage. These referees shoulder the massive responsibility of making sure that the fight stays within the realms of what is allowed and preventing fighters from committing fouls or worse sustaining serious injury. John has had a big influence on the UFC and is well known for his role in helping create the Official Rules of MMA (2000/01), which the UFC adopted early. He retired from competition in 2011 and debuted as a referee in 2014. Anik, who has worked with Cruz on UFC broadcasting duties in the past, defended Peterson from what he feels was an unfounded character assassination by Cruz. In fact, he is, perhaps . Still, everybody else blasted Roberts, especially Dana White, who stated it was a horrible stoppage that shouldve been done sooner. The list of (in)famous UFC referees continues with Kevin MacDonald. Mario Yamasaki officiated hundreds of MMA fights but became famous for his biggest mistakes, not his biggest accomplishments. Roberts was a well-respected referee until a UFC 251 bout between the legendary Jose Aldo and spectacular Petr Yan for the vacant UFC bantamweight title. Arguably the most famous UFC referee ever, Herb Dean has been called the gold standard for referees in MMA by Dana White, Joe Rogan, and countless articles. The industry pioneer in UFC, Bellator and all things MMA (aka Ultimate Fighting). He comes from a fighting background and is mostly known for winning the karate full-contact championship with the Canadian National Team. Former submission grappling competitor and coach, Marc Goddard was signed on by the UFC as a referee in 2008. Chris wrongly identified a legal shot and gave Herman a long recovery time, who then made a comeback and went on to win the fight. "I had more juice . Chris formerly worked as a teacher and coach at Mohave High School from 1990 to 2002, which helped him transition as a martial arts referee. He started refereeing MMA fights in 2009 and has worked for the California State Athletic Commission since 2007. He also holds a title in Muay Thai and grappled his way to a Naga Championship win. . As well as refereeing, he was a police officer for 22 years in total and was the head self-defense practitioner of the LAPD (1993) after learning jiu-jitsu at the Gracie Academy. He is always very professional and precise and doesnt allow himself to get agitated or provoked. Hes known for using his abilities in the cage to stop overaggressive fighters, and once neutralized a fighter by taking his back and putting him in a choke position. In the span of 20 months,. It is here he won two titles in MMA. Keith Peterson is perhaps amongst some of the deadliest referees in the UFC. Cruz, who on Saturday at UFC 259 returns against Casey Kenney, argued against the decision made by Peterson in the cage, but he also lobbed accusations against the veteran official that maybe. The match fee for them is about $500. The most legendary and famous referee on the list, Big John McCarthy has refereed since UFC 2 and has officiated over 500 MMA fights in 25 years (1993-2018), making him the most experienced referee in UFC and MMA history. And the 35-year-old blamed his defeat on Peterson, who stopped the championship contest with just two seconds left in round two. MMA is, for the most part, self-regulated here and does not receive state funding. See who we are picking to be the next UFC heavyweight champion. What are your thoughts on Peterson's call during Cejudo vs. Cruz? Latest MMA. By Lewis Mckeever @Mckeever89 Feb 24, 2021, 9:00pm EST Dominick Cruz is still bitter over his TKO loss to Henry. 18. McCarthy was born in 1962 and started officiating in 1994. Watch popular content from the following creators: Arminisaboss(@arminisaboss), Lafette Patterson(@thepunisher1722), Gabe Bench(@gabebench), SpinningFist(@spinningfist), DarkhorseMMA(@darkhorsemma_ufc) . But, they get $350 to $650 per match in other promotions. DIRECTOR/A. Another UFC referee that was fairly unknown but respected later became famous only after a streak of horrible decisions inside the octagon is Steve Mazzagatti. One of the few UFC referees without a background in martial arts, but this didnt stop Mark Smith from becoming one of the best referees. One of the most famous UFC referees of all time is the great Mike Beltran. Cruz faced backlash for his comments on social media, and the former UFC bantamweight champion recently came under fire from one of his fellow colleagues: Jon Anik. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. He is currently one of the most active referees in the UFC. W . Namjunas went in for the finish and after a couple hammerfists, she got it, with referee Keith Peterson stepping in at 1:18 of round one. He is widely known as the worst UFC referee of all time.. Mistakes happen to every MMA referee, as you constantly have to make split-second decisions. Because of his conviction, some commissions will no longer license Josh to referee, depending on the states laws. John is currently a co-host of the WEIGHING IN podcast. His career ended after a trilogy with a fighter named Jose Villanueva, who won the series 2-1. The vast majority of MMA referees are actually not that big. Name Suicide Year Causes and Explanations ; Phillip Adams: 2021 : American football player, shot himself during standoff with police a day after fatally shooting 6 people : Stepha Exclusives. T. The Japanese Brazilian MMA referee started working with the UFC at the first event the promotion ever organized in Brazil. But, they get $350 to $650 per match in other promotions. Following Dominick Cruz controversial stoppage loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 249, The Dominator accused referee Keith Peterson of smelling like alcohol and cigarettes, insinuating that Peterson was drunk, or at least drinking, on the job. We appreciate your support and thank you for your purchases, as they sustain our magazine and allow us to bring you the best content.Our testing and reviewing method, Copyright 2023 Way of Martial Arts Before Keith Peterson was no nonsense he was throwing punches on the New Jersey regional scene. His most high-profile bout was the classic title fight between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustaffson. Kevin has MMA experience and is a high-level Muay Thai practitioner and instructor; working as a striking coach for Jersey Fight Clubs and Pure MMA. I wish they drug tested them. He did however come under scrutiny when Dominick Cruz publicly claimed Peterson smelled of alcohol and cigarettes, as he believed Peterson had prematurely ended his bout against Henry Cejudo. "Definitely (he did). "I don't believe I lost that fight, I believe Keith Peterson took that fight". He was also an Athletic Inspector with the Nevada State Athletic Commission for over a decade between 2001 & 2012. He only refereed for the UFC two more times since his release in 2015, and the last time he officiated was in 2019. Then he failed to stop several bouts on time, culminating with a matchup between Valentina Shevchenko and Priscilla Cachoeira. Its fair to question the stoppage, but I do not like to see his character getting assassinated.. The Bay Hill Club & Lodge was designed in 1961 by Dick Wilson and Bob Simmons and was owned by Arnold Palmer, who also did several re-designs, from 1974 to 2016. He developed his passion for MMA by working in a video store and watching UFC tournaments on VHS, and was attracted to the violence of the no holds barred nature. Mark only started refereeing in 2014, and despite this, hes quickly become one of the most recognized and respected referees in MMA. 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UFC 285 staff picks and predictions: Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane. Dean competed all over the map including bouts in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Korea. She never showed her face at shows again. Because There's A Fistfight Going On Somewhere In New York Right Now, And You Should Know About It, Funny how you say someone might think he was in a hardcore band For those unaware, Keith was the frontman for GFY and Losers Sometimes Win :). "Robocop" put on the pressure and smashed through Park's guard with a huge uppercut that forced Keith Peterson to rescue Park before any more damage could be unleased. Guys like Big John McCarthy, Herb Dean, and others are just as well-known as some UFC champions. Jon Anik. For example, Herb Dean was in charge of around 130 bouts in 2021, while Jason Herzog was part of only around 100 fights in 2021. I myself witnessed him forcefully fingering a young girl as she was begging him to stop. That's the brand of booze he drinks. That said, I have so much respect for MMA referee Keith Peterson and his track record as one of the best in the business. Buried in the bowels of YouTube are some of the most popular referees in MMA today throwing punches, kicks, and elbows. Out of all the MMA referees who populate the realm of major promotional regularity, Frank Trigg has the most impressive competitor resume. Address: Zadarska ul. Having been in the business for over two decades he is considered among some of the most recognizable MMA referees. For entry-level female referees, the pay scale is the same as for male referees. When you click on our links and make purchases, we may receive commissions. It may have even benefitted him as he could learn the referee profession without any biases or former beliefs, and learn as a complete beginner.