5 best MMA referees in the sport right now

MMA is one of the most intense and competitive sports in the world. Men and women step inside a cage or ring with the intent of either knocking out or submitting their opponents. Every punch, elbow, knee, and kick is thrown with a lifetime of skill and powered by the muscle fibers of world-class athletes.

Furthermore, fighters can be too tough for their own good, sometimes too stubborn to concede when faced with a brutal beating that's obvious to everyone but them. Thus, the sport, like all others—perhaps more than all others—needs referees and officials to both enforce the rules and protect fighters from themselves.

Unfortunately, being an MMA referee is a thankless job. In order to protect fighters from themselves, officials step in to stop bouts if a fighter is no longer defending themselves intelligently. Sometimes, they step in too early or too late. Such has been the case with the likes of the sport's most famous referee, Herb Dean.

While Dean has declined in his officiating ability, who are those regarded as being among the best today?

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#5. Marc Goddard

One of the most well-known referees in MMA is Marc Goddard, who has officiated countless high-profile bouts, whether it's Aljamain Sterling's disastrous bantamweight title defense against Sean O'Malley at UFC 292, or Colby Covington's repeat title failures against Kamaru Usman at welterweight.

Goddard is a no-nonsense enforcer of the sport's rules and is quick to remind fighters who try to rest by remaining idle in the clinch or on the ground that they need to work. While otherwise he'll intervene, he has been criticized for stopping fights too early. This was, again, the case recently at UFC 295.

Alex Pereira faced Jiří Procházka for the light heavyweight title in the main event. The Brazilian rocked his opponent with a right, then dropped him with a trademark left hook. While Procházka attempted a takedown, he ate several elbows to the side of the head and fell to his back, prompting Marc Goddard to step in.

However, because Procházka stood up immediately, many criticized Goddard for stopping the action too early. This remains his only drawback as a referee, as it has garnered significant criticism.

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#4. Frank Trigg

Several referees in the sport have martial arts backgrounds. For example, Herb Dean is a former MMA fighter himself. Few referees, however, had as high-profile a career in MMA as Frank Trigg, who was once a UFC staple. Modern-day fans know him better for his sensationalized scuffle with Bruce Buffer.

But Frank Trigg twice challenged all-time great welterweight Matt Hughes for the divisional title. The experience he gained as a fighter has helped him in his later career change to refereeing. Few officials understand the situations that most fighters find themselves in.

Furthermore, Trigg is as well-equipped as anyone to judge a fighter's toughness in given situations, enabling him to avoid historic controversies like Mario Yamasaki's failure to save Priscilla Cachoeira from unnecessary punishment against Valentina Shevchenko.

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#3. Mark Smith

When both fans and even well-known MMA figures like Joe Rogan often talk of the sport's best officials, the typical names of Herb Dean and 'Big' John McCarthy, who is no longer an active referee, are generally mentioned. However, an underrated name in the sport is Mark Smith.

Despite his exceptional refereeing, Smith has largely operated under the radar of most MMA fans. He is a recognizable face and has had very few controversial moments as a referee despite officiating some of the most high-pressure, high-profile fights in the UFC.

For example, fans might remember that he refereed the first title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, which ended with an infamous disqualification after Mark Smith's own call. Unfortunately, the one criticism he faces is his lenience when dealing with fighters who frequently grab the fence.

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#2. Mike Beltran

Not many referees possess the physicality to officiate a matchup between heavyweights. While Dan Miragliotta and John McCarthy certainly do, the former isn't among the very best officials, and the latter is retired. Mike Beltran, however, is an active referee with the imposing size to garner respect from the larger fighters.

He generally avoids making mistakes and is not above disciplining fighters who either break the rules or try to. His experience in doing so stems from his tenure with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The ability to assert himself as an authority in MMA contests is vital to his enforcement of the rules.

However, it has been reported that the UFC has asked him to shave his iconic beard and that the request led to tension between both parties. However, Beltran continues to referee, whether in the UFC or not.

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#1. Jason Herzog

It is difficult to argue with Jason Herzog's placement as the best active referee in MMA. He approaches all fights with a no-nonsense attitude and is one of the rare few officials who openly admits to his mistakes whenever he makes them. In fact, he owns up to his mistakes mere moments after making them.

Even minor lapses, like not seeing a fighter tap out quickly enough, are noted by him. Furthermore, Herzog commits very few mistakes, so his willingness to learn from the ones he does makes him one of the more commendable officials in the sport, as others are more likely to defend their decision-making, even if poor.

He has officiated countless main events and title fights and has largely avoided controversies relating to his ability to stop fights on time.