One of the most anticipated lightweight rematches came and went at the UFC’s Calgary event when Dustin Poirier finished Eddie Alvarez in the second round of the main event. While the fight was a valiant effort by both men and the win one for the highlight reels, not all wins occur without a degree of controversy. The second round stand-up by Marc Goddard in the main event seems to have been a hot topic after the event.
Criticism from fans and fighters questioning the stand-up from the second round when the former lightweight champion, Alvarez landed a “12-to-6” elbow on the Poirier who was down, against the cage with Alvarez applying heavy pressure with his hips while mounted on Poirier. It was in this position Alvarez was attempting to keep busy and land what he could to keep scoring on the judges’ scorecards.
However, in his attempt to stay active Alvarez would deliver the illegal elbow on Poirier’s shoulder which caused referee Marc Goddard to issue a warning to Alvarez and stand up the fighters taking way the advantageous position Alvarez had. Once this occurred, that was when Poirer was able to deliver the finishing combination that would win him the fight.
While the win came for Poirer, criticism came shortly after on Goddard’s decision to stand them up. Kamaru Usman, in particular, commented on the decision and requested that Goddard never referee any of his fights. Goddard responded to Usman on social media explaining what he saw that led him to his decision for the stand-up.
Mr Usman, I understand that emotion is a factor. Mr Alvarez held the fence, clawed the ear & then threw the 12-6 elbow that is why the positional advantage was taken away. As for your request, no problem that’s easily arranged. I wish you all the best in your career. Thank you. https://t.co/x3GoCEkLqi
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) July 29, 2018
The third man in the cage has a lot of responsibilities on his hands for the safety of both fighters and like fighters that throw unintentional blows, respond as best they can to what is occurring at the moment. Goddard is a trained, veteran referee with a grappling background and does not have a bad reputation as an official. Either way, the fight is over and Poirier is the victor.
Do you think Goddard made the right call?
