UFC Ref Goddard Defends Controversial Point Deduction

Referee Marc Goddard has addressed scrutiny following his point deduction for an eye poke during Saturday's UFC Fight Night event. He clarified his actions, explaining that the fighter, Christian Leroy Duncan, received two warnings in the preceding rounds for having outstretched fingers, a precursor to eye pokes.

Goddard stated his intention was to highlight a critical issue in MMA: the frequency of eye pokes. He believes that consistent penalization, despite the difficulty in changing ingrained habits, is necessary to improve fighter safety and reduce these fouls. Goddard and his colleagues prioritize addressing eye pokes to foster a safer sport.