As a veteran referee, Marc Goddard has been the third man in the Octagon for some of the most iconic UFC fights of all time.
He’s seen his fair share of show stealing knockouts, jaw dropping comebacks and epic encounters that fans will talk about for decades to come.
During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Goddard spoke about some of the most memorable fights that he has officiated.
Find any interview with the Brit talking about this specific question and he always gives the same answer, taking you back to one night in Atlanta, Georgia.
Marc Goddard Talks About When Israel Adesanya & Kelvin Gastelum Pushed Each Other To The Limit
At UFC 236, the co-main event of the evening was the highlight of the night even when it was followed by Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway 2.
Israel Adesanya met Kelvin Gastelum with the interim middleweight title on the line and the pair produced an all-time classic.
This one will always stand out to Goddard when he looks back on all of the fights that he has played a part in, he said.
“Then number one is, every day of the week, twice on a Sunday, is Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum.
“You find one moment in your life when you think, ‘I’m not going to go away’. In this fight, you had two guys in the exact same moment that wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t believe what I was watching unfold in front of me. I remember that there’s a clip at the beginning of the fifth round and Israel’s looking across him saying, ‘I’m prepared to die.’ Now I didn’t, I’m not looking at this, I’d seen it afterwards but honestly mate, that fight when you got two fighters that went into the deepest, darkest depths of their soul and they went into the deepest, darkest waters imaginable or possible in a fight and I was right alongside them, standing three-foot away, witnessing this unfold.”
Goddard also said that the fight produced an emotional moment both on that night and when he watches the fight back, after seeing how far both men were able to push each other.
“As soon as I know they’re safe, I f****** run off with my head in hands and I won’t be ashamed to say, I’ve cried after that fight watching it back because it was ungodly what those guys did. It was ungodly.”
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