"Absolutely atrocious" - MMA social media rips into referee Dave Sejestad for "all-time bad" officiating at UFC 307 after multiple ignored fouls

The MMA community erupted in outrage following the controversial officiating of referee Dave Sejestad during the Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria clash at UFC 307. Fans and analysts alike were left fuming after the fight, which was marked by several fouls and refereeing blunders.

In the first round, Almeida got the better of his rival in the striking exchanges. As the action picked up, Potieria pressed Almeida against the cage. It seemed like the Ukrainian sought to take the fight to the ground wary of the striking talent of his opponent. The round concluded without any major incidents, but controversy unfolded in the subsequent rounds.

A low blow from Almeida in the opening sequence after an eye poke halted the fight. After a brief timeout, the action resumed only for another stoppage due to an eye poke, which Potieria visibly protested. Despite multiple eye pokes throughout the fight, Sejestad failed to issue any strong warnings or deductions.

Even the UFC analyst team expressed frustration over Sejestad's frequent interruptions during clinch exchanges in the third round. The frustration reached a boiling point when Potieria suffered yet another eye poke. However, Sejestad let the fight continue and Almeida walked away with a unanimous decision win.

The MMA media collectively condemned referee Sejestad on social media. Alex Behunin wrote:

"Gotta feel bad for Ihor Potieria. Eye poked four times, didn’t get a point taken away, and then couldn’t work from the clinch because the referee is incompetent."

MMA analyst Luke Thomas wrote:

"Ball kick. THREE eye pokes. Not only not a point being taken, barely even a verbal admonishment. Absolutely NOTHING is illegal in MMA if the ref doesn't want it to be... I am in favor of referees having a greater role in facilitating action, generally, but what this referee is doing is so egregiously bad in being quick on the draw, [that] it's nauseating. Fire this guy immediately. He's a danger to the fighters, quite literally."

Another fan wrote:

"Absolutely atrocious. Never let him ref again."

Check out some of the reactions below:

MMA community reacts to Dave Sejestad officiating at UFC 307. [Images courtesy: Accounts on X]