Mark Goddard plans to stay outside the cage when it comes to the UFC welterweight championship.
Mike Perry's Overdogs PodcastThe veteran referee was asked several questions about the specifics of the job, including the extent to which pre-existing relationships with fighters complicate a referee's job. Goddard cited Leon Edwards as a specific example of a fighter who never officiates a bout for personal reasons.
“Leon Edwards,” Goddard said, “you've never seen me referee Leon Edwards at UFC, and you never will. Why? Because I was Leon Edwards' first MMA coach, a long time ago, when he was an amateur. But again, to me, it's just common sense, even though there are all these connections. When Leon first walked into that gym, nobody would have known he was an amateur, a novice. Look at him now. He's the UFC welterweight champion of the world.
“But you've never seen me refereeing him and you never will, because we don't get in the way of it. I don't want to get in the way and I don't want to be in a bind and have to give a call that goes against him. So it's a win-win.”
Goddard has been involved in mixed martial arts for over two decades but is best known for serving as the third man in the cage in numerous high-profile bouts for UFC and other major organizations, and has also earned a reputation for being transparent when discussing his decisions in the cage.
One decision that drew intense scrutiny from fans and criticism from the loser was Goddard's decision to stop the fight in the fifth round of the first middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022. Adesanya looked to be successfully defending his title on points, but a powerful onslaught from Pereira forced Goddard to step in and rescue the fight two minutes into the final round.
Five months later, Goddard made sure he wasn't picked when Adesanya and Pereira rematched at UFC 287. Adesanya avenged the loss with a clean knockout in the second round.
“I specifically asked not to do that fight,” Goddard said. “The reason I asked not to do that fight was because I was thinking about Izzy. I've refereed him since then, and I've refereed his fights with Sean Strickland, but I actually stepped down because I didn't want Izzy to have to go in the dressing room. I was thinking about the fighter at the time. This night is his fight. It's all about him. I didn't want to go in the dressing room and bring any kind of negative connotation to him.
“So I have decided that that is the right thing to do. The fairest thing for him to do is not to interfere in the game and leave it to another official, so I have asked the committee not to do that.”
For better or worse, Goddard is one of the most well-known and talked-about umpires in the game and prides himself on always trying to keep mistakes to a minimum.
When it comes to potential conflicts of interest, he should prioritize professionalism above all else.
“On a personal level, I'm not feuding with anybody,” Goddard said. “I'm an old guy in this game. I'm 50 and I've been in this business a long time. It goes back to what I said earlier: Unfortunately, combat sports is an emotional business, and I understand that. An emotional business is that at some point, things just don't go the fighter's way. It could be because of a referee or a misjudgment, but of course that's not even in the back of our minds. So from a personal standpoint, let's put it this way: When I retire from refereeing and I write my memoirs, all my best tweets will be the ones that haven't been sent. I'll save them as drafts.”
“Look, what I do in this sport comes from my heart. I grew up in this sport, competed in it, toured in it. First and foremost, I'm an active fighter. For me, having any form of resilience is the last thing on the planet and I'm never more scared than when I'm assigned to officiate a particular event. Sometimes it's common sense and experience, if a fighter has a history of indiscretions or has been disgruntled, you just say, 'I'm not going to do that fight,' because there are always other judges. You can declare up front that there may be a conflict of interest, and that happens. At the end of the day, it's a personal thing. I'm not going to be long on it, but common sense and experience go a long way. I'm just there to look after these people. I love my job and I certainly don't want any trouble.”
