Ed Herman vs Mike Rodriguez had a crazy low blow call which decided the match
UFC president Dana White was left upset and furious with referee Chris Tognini over an incorrect low blow call in the Mike Rodriguez vs Ed Herman clash.
Controversy took center stage in this clash as Herman went down after a couple of body shots. However, the referee claimed this was a low blow and allowed Herman to recover with the full time allotted.
Rodriguez believed he had won the fight and was celebrating but the clash continued. This allowed Herman to regain his composure and he was able to lock in a kimura for a turnaround win.
Rodriguez was left scathing after this and his party decided to protest the decision from the referee.
The UFC couldn’t use replays to correct the call due to Nevada Sports Commission rules, and White ripped into the referee.
“That is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.”
White then claimed that Herman was extremely tough but laid the blame on the referee:
“If you talk about acting, listen, if the referee is that stupid that he didn’t see that. That it wasn’t a low blow, Ed Herman’s job is to get in there and win a fight, and he did what he had to do.
“It’s one of the most disgusting, bad calls I have seen in my life.”
Dana White calls the referee's decision to allow Ed Herman continue "the most disgusting thing [he's] ever seen." #UFCVegas10 pic.twitter.com/zdkQPfIdUW
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 13, 2020
Correcting the mistake
White also spoke about being a little happy that Rodriguez didn’t get his arm broken from the lock.
However, the UFC president decided to reduce some of the damage done. While the loss is on Rodriguez’s record at the moment, the UFC decided to pay him the win amount despite the result.
UFC is paying Mike Rodriguez his win money, after a referee error likely cost him a win tonight against Ed Herman. Good on the company for that decision, Mike deserves that.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 13, 2020
The UFC has seen many poor calls from the referee and judges in recent years, and this goes down as one of the worst.
However, referees are human and can make mistakes too. This was a perfect example why replays should be used in tough positions and hopefully, the rules are changed quickly.
More UFC news
- Valentina Shevchenko on possibility of following Jon Jones and vacating UFC title
- Jacob Stitch Duran compares Nate Diaz to boxing great Tyson Fury
- Marquel Martin shares Francis Ngannou vs Stipe Miocic timeline and where Jon Jones fits in Heavyweight scene
Follow our dedicated UFC page for instant UFC news and updates
