UFC veteran expresses concern about fighters' 'fouling tendencies', referee Marc Goddard responds 

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin raised an important question on Twitter about referees and their preparations before getting into the octagon to officiate a fight.

Griffin asked if referees specifically study fight film to study their fighters and their tendencies to foul amongst other patterns that they should take into account. Veteran octagon referee Marc Goddard, who has served in the promotion since 2008, weighed in on the discussion.

He explained that even as a referee, he still trained consistently and kept up with the sport earnestly in a bid to do right by his matchups:

"Forrest. I can attest that after 23 years in this sport (now in my 19th year as a ref) I remain immersed in MMA, still train. We are constantly watching, critiquing & discussing with each other. Review & reflection are continuous. Perfection doesn’t exist, the quest for it does."

Goddard also maintained that preconceived notions about a fighter were not the way to go and stressed the importance of treating each fight and situation anew with a rational mind:

"We’re also impartial & down the line & can’t take predetermined notions into fights. It’s a blank canvas every time. Fighters can be tricky, play the game & push boundaries. A good referee's experience, competency & common sense should be able to deal with any & all circumstances."

Check out Marc Goddard's tweets below:

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Judges face criticism for split decision at UFC Kansas City

While the refereeing in the recently-concluded UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen was consistent and posed no controversy, it was the other officials in charge of the fights that came under the scanner.

MMA judges have long been on the receiving end of criticism for their questionable decisions but seldom have pros united overwhelmingly under a common sentiment.

The preliminary card opener between bantamweights Joselyne Edwards and Lucie Pudilová was adjudicated in favor of Edwards via split decision. Fans and professionals, however, felt that Edwards lost all three rounds of the fight and was wrongly deemed the victor.

Former UFC double champion-turned-commentator Daniel Cormier called the fight and remarked on the poor decision from the judges.

"That’s really bad! What a bad start to the night with Judging. Holy sh*t"

Check out Daniel Cormier's tweet below:

Other pros also reacted to the shocking decision. Check out their reactions below: