UFC 303 judges: All about the officials assigned for Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka title fight

The referee and judges for the UFC 303 main event between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka have been revealed.

On Friday, June 29, International Fight Week will conclude with a pay-per-view event, UFC 303, inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Prochazka looks to avenge his November 2023 loss against Pereira to become the new light heavyweight world champion.

Over the last year, there have been various controversial scorecards and decisions in world title fights, adding emphasis to who is scoring top-tier matchups. Early today, MMA reporter John Morgan revealed on X who will determine the winner of a potential decision in the UFC 303 main event:

"Herb Dean has been named the referee for Saturday's #UFC303 title bout between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka at today's NSAC meeting. Judges assigned included Derek Cleary, Sal D'Amato and Ron McCarthy."

Derek Cleary, Sal D'Amato, and Ron McCarthy are well-experienced judges with over 10 years of high-level experience. The most controversial of the three is D'Amato, as he's been around the longest and showcased a handful of controversial scorecards throughout his long career.

The last three events worked for the UFC 303 main event judges are UFC Louisville (Cleary), UFC Saudi Arabia (D'Amato), and UFC Vegas 92 (McCarthy).

Alex Pereira last fought against Jamahal Hill in the UFC 303 main event on April 13. Coincidentally, Herb Dean was the referee for that fight, with the assigned judges being Cleary, D'Amato, and McCarthy. Pereira defended his light heavyweight title by first-round knockout, so the three judges weren't needed.

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Fans react to the UFC 303 judges assigned for Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2

UFC judges often receive backlash for decisions on close fights. Sal D'Amato is a primary example, as he's gained a reputation for questionable scorecards, despite his many years of success. Following John Morgan's report on X, fans reacted to the UFC 303 main event judges, including the following people:

"3 of the worst judges ever"

"At least this fight won't be going to a decision for Sal to screw up."

"Neither the refs or the judges should know their assignments until the night of."

"And your winner, by split decision....."

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Twitter comments

At UFC 303, Jiri Prochazka has a massive opportunity to regain the UFC light heavyweight title. To do so, he must get through the always-dangerous Alex Pereira, who is quickly establishing himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time by putting together a legendary resume.