Dana White calls UFC Vegas 10 referee blunder “the worst I’ve ever seen”

UFC President Dana White wasn’t impressed by a perceived refereeing blunder in a UFC Vegas 10 light heavyweight fight between Ed Herman and Mike Rodriguez.

Mid-way through the fight, Herman appeared to be dropped by a groin shot, and was given some time to recover by the referee. However, an instant replay of the sequence seemed to show that it was a body shot that caused Herman to double-over, not a groin shot. Nonetheless, Herman was given several minutes to recover, and ultimately ended up winning the fight by submission in the third round.

Dana White was asked about this controversial fight at the UFC Vegas 10 post-fight press conference, and did not hide his disappointment.

White scolded referee Chris Tognoni, and compared him to referee Steve Mazzagatti, who has been the object of UFC boss’s derision many times previously.

“It’s hard not to bang on this guy – the worst I’ve ever seen,” White said of Tognoni at the UFC Vegas 10 post-fight press conference. “He’s f**king Mazzagatti-level. Some Mazzagatti-level sh*t right there. That was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.

“That kid wins by knockout, technical knockout and loses the fight. One of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Disgusting.”

In Nevada, where the fight occurred, officials have limited access of instant replay, and can only view replays after a fight is over. Because the referee paused the fight due to a perceived foul, therefore, he was unable to view the instant replay.

“I was all over them tonight about replay,” White said, revealing he spoke to the Nevada Athletic Commission. “We have to have replay. There’s gotta be replay. All you’ve got to do is look at the f**king replay that’s playing 6,000 times while Herman’s on the ground to say, ‘Oh sh*t I made a mistake.’ Not only did that happen, but he goes ‘Time!’ And Mike Rodriguez goes, ‘Time? What do you mean time? Fight’s over.’ Then they start fighting again, he knocks him down again, and hits him with like 15 punches and elbows and he still doesn’t stop it.

“I thought Ed Herman owed that guy money or something. Like what the f**k did Ed Herman do to this guy? Only Ed Herman could have pulled that off, cause that guy is so damn tough. You can’t see everything. They’re human. You can’t see everything. That’s a tough one. How you think that is a groin kick is next level nuts, but whatever it happens but what are you going to do? It happened.”

While White conceded that referees are only human, and therefore prone to the occasional error, that did not stop him from laying into Tognoni for the mistake.

“I’m telling you, nobody has ever f**ked up more than Mazzagatti, and that was a Mazzagatti moment right there for that guy,” White said. “It was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. It was over. The fight was finished.

“That’s like him being knocked out and f**king lets give him time to wake up and he can fight again. Literally what it was like. Then as soon as he stood up, the whole side of his body was as red as red could be.”

White concluded by revealing that he intends to pay Rodriguez his win money, despite the new loss on his record.