Referee Marc Goddard has offered an explanation for his decision to deduct a point from Christian Leroy Duncan for an eye poke during the main event of UFC Vegas 122, insisting that officials are working to address a persistent problem in mixed martial arts.
Duncan faced Brendan Allen in Saturday's headliner, with Goddard's decision to penalize the British middleweight raising eyebrows due to the seemingly swift nature of the intervention. Referees have frequently faced criticism for being too lenient when fighters commit fouls, particularly eye pokes, making Goddard's decision stand out.
Allen ultimately submitted Duncan in the fifth and final round, meaning the point deduction did not affect the result. However, Goddard (who won the prestigious Referee of the Year award at the recent 17th annual World MMA Awards in Las Vegas) took to social media afterward to provide context for his actions and explain the process officials follow when dealing with potential eye pokes.
"I'd like to offer some clarity on this as I believe it's a teachable moment and gives insight into what we are doing as officials to overcome certain obstacles," Goddard wrote.
The veteran referee explained that officials discuss the rules with fighters individually backstage before their bouts, specifically addressing the danger of eye pokes. He also revealed that Duncan had already been warned about his hand positioning before the incident that prompted the deduction.
"As referees we go over the rules one to one with fighters in the back before the fight begins, here we specifically cover potential eyes pokes," Goddard explained. "If you watch you will hear me warn CLD in round one for outstretched fingers toward the face. I then again, before the start of the next round, ask him to be careful and mindful of the hands. It is then when the eye poke occurs do I take definitive action."
Goddard's comments suggest that his decision was not an impulsive reaction to an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of warnings delivered before and during the fight.
The referee also made a point of defending Duncan's standing in the sport, describing the middleweight as both an exceptional athlete and a credit to MMA. At the same time, he acknowledged the challenges officials face when trying to eliminate a foul that can be deeply ingrained in a fighter's habits.
"CLD is a credit to the sport of MMA and an exceptional athlete," Goddard wrote. "There's so much more, mechanically to addressing eye pokes in MMA both preventatively (before the action) and correctively (after the action)."
He continued by highlighting the difficulty of expecting fighters to change long-established habits over a short period.
"It is very hard to expect an athlete to change 20 years of training and habit with a few minutes of conversation pre fight," Goddard added.
Eye pokes remain a recurring issue in MMA, with fighters frequently extending their fingers toward an opponent's face while managing distance. Such incidents can cause significant discomfort and potentially threaten a fighter's vision, while also creating difficult decisions for referees attempting to balance fighter safety with the uninterrupted flow of a contest.
Goddard acknowledged that addressing the problem requires more than simply penalizing fighters after an infringement. Prevention and corrective action both have a role to play, and he stressed that the issue remains a priority for officials.
"Just know that both myself and my colleagues know it is a firm priority to address and fix this," he wrote.
Goddard concluded his message by expressing respect for the competitors and the sport, reiterating his commitment to tackling the issue.
"All respect to the athletes and our sport. Thank you."
