There is no better referee to control matters within the cage than Marc Goddard.
However, Goddard found himself in another melee match with a fighter when he officiated a featherweight bout between Ahmad Al Darmaki and Bogdan Kirilenko in the UAE Warriors 12 on Friday.
Al Darmaki ensured a deep bare rear choke near the end of Round 1, but after Kirilenko struck, Al Darmaki refused to let him go. Goddard attempted to take off Al Darmaki’s arms, causing a heated reaction from the Abu Dhabi-based fighter. Al Darmaki stood in Goddard’s face, proceeding to push him several times. As a result, Al Darmaki was disqualified and Bogdan was announced as the winner.
You can watch the incident below (via Twitter):
Goddard tried to control the situation as best he could, but Al Darmaki was not having it. Al Darmaki later apologized, but it was inexcusable behavior.
Goddard is no stranger to heated exchanges with fighters, as Conor McGregor confronted him once Goddard attempted to break McGregor’s embrace with his victorious teammate, Charlie Ward, in Bellator 187. McGregor was not a licensed cornerback for the Fight.
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