Top 5: Officiating Gaffes in UFC History

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The job tasks mixed martial arts referees with ensuring the safety of the participants inside the cage above all else. They are asked to do so while making heat-of-the-moment judgments before crowds of thousands, all while knowing their actions are destined to be second-guessed and scrutinized by countless others. Into that pressure cooker stepped Mario Yamasaki on Feb. 3, 2018.

Valentina Shevchenko was ruthless and clinical when she annihilated previously unbeaten Brazilian newcomer Priscila Cachoeira in their UFC Fight Night 125 co-main event at Guilherme Paraense Arena in Belem, Brazil. Cachoeira tapped twice to a rear-naked choke 4:25 into Round 2, this after being drawn and quartered for the better part of nine minutes. Shevchenko connected on 84% of the significant strikes she attempted and outlanded the overmatched prospect by a stunning 230-3 margin in total strikes. It was a flawless performance if there ever was one. Shevchenko did the vast majority of her damage on the ground, where she advanced to full mount and a topside crucifix while punishing the Parana Vale Tudo export with punches and elbows, one of which drew blood—and copious amounts of it—in the first round. It could have been stopped on numerous occasions, but Yamasaki allowed the beating to proceed unabated. There was plenty of criticism to go around in the immediate aftermath, with some even pointing blame at Cachoeira’s corner for not throwing in the towel. Much of it, however, was directed at Yamasaki, who could have intervened long before the outright thrashing reached squirm-in-your-seat levels. Cachoeira did not compete again for more than a year.

UFC CEO Dana White went so far as to say steps should be taken to prevent Yamasaki from ever being allowed to officiate again, calling it a “scary, incompetent showing.” The referee answered the criticism in a statement released to MMAFighting.com.

“During the second round, I signaled to ‘Pedrita’ that if she didn’t move I’d stop the fight, and every time I’d stop, I told her and she moved to try to escape from the punches,” Yamasaki wrote. “Unfortunately, I also can’t control the number of blows thrown—again, when a fighter is trying to come back she’s game. Fighters go through times of hard effort and dedication to be there. MMA is a contact sport and no fighter likes his fight to be stopped with no chance to revert the result. In my opinion, I allowed ‘Pedrita’ to be a warrior and keep fighting. I could have stopped the fight in the second crucifix or in the mount, but she moved the whole time. I also recognize that I should have stopped when she tapped the first time to the rear-naked choke. I only stopped a few seconds later. About other people’s opinions, it’s their right to say.”

Seven-plus years later, it ranks as one of the more glaring officiating gaffes in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. Here are four others worth considering:

Ben Askren vs. Robbie Lawler
UFC 235
March 2, 2019 | Las Vegas
Askren posted his only Ultimate Fighting Championship victory under less-than-ideal circumstances when he was awarded a first-round technical submission over Robbie Lawler at T-Mobile Arena. Operating in the shadows of the Jon Jones-Anthony Smith and Kamaru Usman-Tyron Woodley title fights, the former Bellator MMA champion positioned himself for a bulldog choke after being battered, bloodied and nearly stopped moments earlier. Trapped in the clutches of the four-time NCAA All-American wrestler and onetime Olympian, Lawler gave a thumbs up that went unseen by referee Herb Dean. His arm then appeared to briefly go limp, leading Dean to intervene 3:20 into Round 1. A still conscious and lucid Lawler sprang to his feet in protest immediately after the choke was released, but the decision was final.

Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy
UFC 178
Sept. 27, 2014 | Las Vegas
Romero dismissed the Jackson-Wink MMA rep with a barrage of punches in the third round of their middleweight showcase at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. A battered, bloodied and exhausted Kennedy succumbed to the blows 58 seconds into Round 3, suffering his first stoppage loss in more than 13 years. Romero carved up the San Luis Obispo, California, native with quick left hands through much of the first half of the fight. Kennedy turned the tide late in Round 2, where he had the 2000 Olympic silver medalist out on his feet after a pair of right uppercuts and a series of follow-up power punches. Only the bell saved him. Controversy entered the picture between rounds, when Romero’s corner delayed their exit from the cage and allowed their fighter to remain on the stool well beyond the usual 60 seconds allotted for rest. Referee John McCarthy did not enforce the time limit in what would later become known as “Stoolgate.” Kennedy walked into a buzzsaw in Round 3, where he was met with a savage right hand and collapsed. Romero dropped him a second time with a left hook before finishing it with swarming punches on the ground.

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Marcus “Conan” Silveira
UFC 15.5
Dec. 21, 1997 | Yokohama, Japan
Silveira was awarded a technical knockout over the Japanese legend in the first round of their heavyweight tournament semifinal at Yokohama Arena. The aforementioned McCarthy waved it off 1:50 into Round 1, though it did not take long to see that something was amiss. Silveira landed a series of punches and appeared to have his counterpart reeling. The barrage prompted Sakuraba to shoot for a takedown. However, McCarthy, believing he had been knocked out, stepped in and called for the stoppage. Sakuraba protested vehemently, and after replays were reviewed, the decision was changed to a no contest. Wrongs were later righted when David “Tank” Abbott—victorious in his 15-minute semifinal with Yoji Anjo—could not continue in the tournament due to a hand injury. As a result, Sakuraba was paired with Silveira in the final. He submitted the Brazilian with an armbar 3:44 into the first round.

Leandro Silva vs. Drew Dober
UFC Fight Night 62
March 21, 2015 | Rio de Janeiro
Silva turned away the American with a guillotine choke in the second round of their lightweight prelim at Maracanazinho Gymnasium. Referee Eduardo Herdy called a stop to festivities 2:45 into Round 2 despite the fact that Dober was coherent, active and in the process of escaping the choke from half guard. After a closely contested first round, Silva found another gear in the second. He secured a pair of takedowns, slid to side mount and attempted to move to Dober’s back, catching the half-guard guillotine in a subsequent transition. It set a chaotic scene in motion. Dober remained calm and began to free himself, only to have Herdy interject himself without cause. The result was later overturned to a no contest by the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria (Dave Seljestad), UFC 307; Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz (Chip Snider), UFC Live 4; Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill (Steve Mazzagatti), “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale; Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson (Andrew Glenn), UFC 314; Matt Brown vs. Pete Sell (Yves Lavigne), UFC 96; Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson (Mazzagatti), UFC Fight Night 14; Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera (Dan Miragliotta), UFC 85; Erik Perez vs. John Albert (Kim Winslow), “The Ultimate Fighter 15” Finale; Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir (Cecil Peoples), UFC 111; Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley (Rick Fike), UFC 96; Evan Tanner vs. Phil Baroni (Larry Landless), UFC 45; Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba (Kevin MacDonald), UFC Fight Night 169; Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock (Dean), UFC 61; Matt Wiman vs. Mac Danzig (Lavigne), UFC 115; Ryan Jensen vs. Steve Steinbess (Gary Ritter), UFC Fight Night 19