Referee Jason Herzog was the center of attention both during and after the UFC on ESPN+ 29 main event.
Wednesday in Jacksonville, Fla., Herzog officiated the headlining bout between light heavyweight contenders Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith. Despite Smith (32-15 MMA, 8-5 UFC) taking a tremendous amount of damage over the third and fourth rounds, Herzog let the fight continue.
While the fight was eventually waved early off in Round 5 due to strikes by Teixeira (31-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC), the non-stoppage up until that point sparked controversy in the MMA community.
Friday, Herzog issued a statement on Twitter. While he did not directly mention the fight itself, he referenced the event and took full responsibility for the situation.
“This sport of MMA is beautiful, it’s pure,” Herzog wrote. “And an incredible teacher. Some lessons are more harsh than others. I’ve seen a lot of opinions about what should have (happened), who was at fault.
“But let me be clear, there is only one person to blame. Me.
“I am responsible for each fighter I am entrusted to oversee. I will take this experience, make the necessary changes, and get better.”
Smith suffered a barrage of injuries as a result of the fight including a fractured orbital, broken teeth, and a broken nose. After the fight, Smith backed Herzog’s decision to not stop the fight.
“I’m good with the decisions the referee and my corner made,” Smith told ESPN. “When the ref made it clear he needed to see something or was gonna stop it, I did what I had to do to stay in the fight. I come out of battle with my shield or I come out on it. That’s my rule. Period.”
