UFC President Dana White did not mince words when he took aim at veteran referee Kerry Hatley for what he deemed a significant oversight during the UFC Fight Night event in Austin, Texas. The criticism came after a bout between Jalin Turner and Bobby Green, which saw an unsettling delay in the fight's stoppage after Turner knocked Green unconscious.
The incident occurred in the first round of their matchup when Turner landed a decisive blow that rendered Green defenseless. However, despite Green being clearly incapacitated, Hatley allowed the action to continue for an additional 12 seconds before intervening—time during which Turner continued to land strikes on his unresponsive opponent.
"It was one of the worst I've ever seen," White declared in the post-event press conference, expressing his dismay over the referee's handling of the situation.
White also referenced past instances where referees have made controversial statements to justify their decisions in similar scenarios. He acknowledged that while there have been questionable justifications in the past, in this case, Hatley recognized his mistake, though that did little to mitigate the immediate risks faced by Green in the moment.
Turner, for his part, defended his actions post-fight, stating that it is the fighter's job to continue until the referee steps in to halt the contest. This sentiment echoes a common understanding within combat sports that fighters are trained to engage until they are explicitly stopped by an official.
Green's Graceful Defeat
The fight officially lasted two minutes and forty-nine seconds, culminating in a first-round stoppage. Remarkably, Green was able to leave the Octagon without assistance following the bout. Despite the controversy surrounding the fight's conclusion, Green refrained from criticizing Hatley. Instead, he took to social media to commend Turner's performance and display sportsmanship.
"You win some, you lose some, I guess," Green reflected on Instagram. He went on to praise Turner, saying, "I just want to show people that you've got to keep it 'G' when you win, and you've got to keep it 'G' when you lose. Shout out to Jalin. You did your thing, brother. I'm so happy for you. It means the world that you stepped up on short notice and you're having your success."
Originally, Green was set to face Dan Hooker, but those plans were derailed due to Hooker suffering an arm injury. Seizing the opportunity, Turner stepped in on nine days' notice and managed to snap a two-fight losing streak, improving his UFC record to 7-4. Notably, all of Turner's victories within the UFC have come via knockout or submission, underscoring his finishing capabilities.
Community Outcry
The MMA community has not been silent about the incident, with many figures voicing their concerns about fighter safety—a paramount issue in the sport. During the ESPN live broadcast, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping expressed his disapproval, questioning the rationale behind the delayed intervention and stressing the potential risks to fighters' lives and long-term health.
"He was face down, he was getting teed off on by a world-class, very powerful striker. Kerry Hatley is a great referee, but what the hell was he waiting for?" Bisping commented during the broadcast, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, Daniel Cormier, a former two-weight UFC champion, took to social media to describe the stoppage as "one of the absolute worst stoppages in MMA history." Cormier pointed out the danger posed to the fighter who was prone and taking punches without the ability to intelligently defend himself.
UFC lightweight Chase Hooper echoed these sentiments, describing the sequence as "brutal" and agreeing that the fight should have been stopped much sooner. Dustin Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion, concurred, labeling the stoppage as "horrible."
As the MMA community continues to process the fallout from this event, there is a widespread expectation for the UFC and regulatory bodies to address the incident. Ensuring fighter safety remains a critical concern, and situations such as these prompt discussions on how best to protect athletes in a sport where the stakes are incredibly high.