Sherdog’s Top 10: Officiating Blunders

Most MMA fans aren’t aware how difficult it is to be a referee. A referee has to know every single rule for every single fight, has to be keenly aware of everything taking place before his eyes and has to watch for every tiny detail during every second of fight time. If a referee slips up, it could lead to fatal consequences.

There have been some horrendous MMA referees over the years, but sometimes even the best of the best make some head-scratching blunders. A referee’s decision happens in the blink of an eye and he or she is solely responsible for the fighters’ safety during combat. Maybe it’s the threat of a fighter suffering catastrophic injury or a just a simple lapse in judgment, but sometimes a fighter gets railroaded in a contest and there is nothing that can be done about it.

In this list, Sherdog.com examines the 10 biggest referee blunders in history. What did you think when you saw them? How does your list compare?

Honorable Mentions: Mark Matheny (Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate 1); Herb Dean (Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcio Cruz); Rick Fike (Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley 1); Gary Ritter (Steve Steinbeiss vs. Ryan Jensen).

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