Marc Goddard wished nothing to do with Israel Adesanya’s UFC rematch with Alex Pereira.
Goddard is taken into account by many to be one of many UFC’s most revered referees, usually performing because the third man within the Octagon for a number of the greatest fights within the promotion’s historical past. That features his function within the UFC 281 encounter between former middleweight world champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.
On that evening, ‘The Final Stylebender’ surrendered the 185-pound crown to his GLORY Kickboxing foe by way of a surprising fifth-round knockout. Nevertheless, the stoppage was the topic of some criticism with many suggesting that Goddard stepped in too early and will have allowed Adesanya extra time to recuperate.
Adesanya himself was additionally important of the stoppage, prompting Goddard to request that he not be concerned of their rematch at UFC 287 5 months later.
“Do you keep in mind when Israel Adesanya fought Alex Pereira for the second time in Miami? I particularly requested not to try this combat [too],” Goddard mentioned throughout an look on the Overdogs Podcast.
“Me and him are [fine], I’ve refereed him since, I’ve refereed his combat with Sean Strickland, however I truly eliminated myself as a result of what I didn’t need to do was stroll within the dressing room, I used to be considering of the fighter then, that is his evening, it’s all about him. I didn’t need to stroll into that dressing room and him to have any type of adverse connotations or one thing like that.”
“So, I simply thought that the correct factor to do and the fairest factor to do by him is simply keep out of the combat and provides it to a different ref. There’s been a few incidences the place there’s [been] sure fighters that I’d somewhat not [officiate] for private causes” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Marc Goddard won’t ever referee a Leon Edwards combat
Goddard additionally revealed in the course of the dialog that there’s one particular fighter you’ll by no means see him within the Octagon with, although for a really completely different motive.
“Right here’s a basic case, Leon Edwards — you’ve by no means seen me referee Leon Edwards within the UFC and also you by no means will, why? As a result of I used to be Leon Edwards’ first MMA coach,” Goddard revealed.
“[That was] method, method again when he was an novice however it’s a commonsense aspect for me, though the hyperlink is so [dated], who knew then when Leon first walked in… However you’ve by no means noticed me referee him and also you by no means will as a result of we simply maintain it out of the way in which.”
Exterior of the apparent causes, Goddard additionally defined that he doesn’t need to discover himself “in a predicament the place I’m making a name that might go towards him so it’s each methods.”
