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Dana White: Referee Steve Mazzagatti Is ‘Dangerous’ with Continued Incompetence

UFC President Dana White has never been shy when talking about the mistakes made by certain referees and judges that can cost a fighter a win or loss, and potentially affect their long-term futures with the decisions they make. The biggest axe that Whi…

The biggest axe that White has to grind on that subject comes by the way of referee Steve Mazzagatti, who he has repeatedly slammed for bad decision-making whenever he’s involved in a fight.

The latest infraction involving Mazzagatti didn’t even take place in White’s organization, but it didn’t stop him from seeing just how incompetent the referee can be in making calls during a fight.

The bout in question was the main event in the World Series of Fighting 3 card pitting former UFC welterweight title contender Jon Fitch against Josh Burkman. The fight ended when Burkman locked up a guillotine choke and Fitch went unconscious. Before Mazzagatti even motioned to check the fighter’s condition, Burkman let go of the hold and was standing up over his opponent, who laid motionless on the canvas.

“Does anyone disagree with me that Mazzagatti‘s a f—king toolbox? I mean he literally did nothing,” White said about the referee’s performance on Friday night. “Literally when (Fitch) goes limp, he goes limp, he’s out and then (Burkman) rolls him f—king over, lets his head f—king flop to the thing and then stands up over him. He’s literally like this standing up over him before Mazzagatti even f—king gets in the picture.”

Mazzagatti is a mainstay in the referee pool used by the Nevada State Athletic Commission whenever fights come to the state. The commission assigns the referees to each individual bout, and the promotion has no say in which referee works a particular fight.

White believes Mazzagatti‘s continued incompetence is going to eventually get a fighter seriously hurt because he simply does not understand the sport.

“The Nevada State Athletic Commission is going to keep this f—king guy around until he seriously hurt somebody. That guy is dangerous. He’s dangerous,” White stated. “It’s disgusting. At what point do you realize that this guy is an incompetent fool and he’s going to hurt somebody.

“I wonder what’s going to happen when somebody gets seriously hurt in a Mazzagatti fight. What are they going to write it off to? Anything can happen? This is a combat sport and anything can happen? This guy is dangerous.”

The only problem that White sees with his continued outrage about Mazzagatti‘s refereeing is the fact that whenever he screams the loudest, the Nevada commission quickly reacts by placing him as the referee in the biggest fight possible.

White chalks it up to the commission flexing their muscle, and not being willing to admit fault that Mazzagatti is just a terrible referee.

“They’ll make him the main event now. Now because I said this, the Nevada State Athletic Commission will give him the (Anderson) Silva fight (at UFC 162),” White said. “It’s not corrupt when you talk about the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the fact that they keep doing this, it’s complete and total ego. Because I keep complaining, they will keep putting him front and center.”

The commission remains in charge of the referee assignments for each particular show, but fighters do have the right to complain if they do not want a certain person in charge of their fight. Unfortunately, the promotion does not have that same power, so it always comes down to the fighters and their willingness to take the battle to the commission.

At the end of the day, White says he has nothing personal against Mazzagatti because he doesn’t even know him, but his refereeing is atrocious and he believes he has no business inside the sport of MMA.

“The guy shouldn’t even be watching MMA on television, let alone f—king reffing it,” White said.

The UFC will return to Nevada in three weeks’ time for UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman, and it will be interesting to see if the commission will place Mazzagatti on the card, and how many fights he will be involved in that night.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Dana White Admits He Was Wrong in His Assessment of Jon Fitch’s Post-UFC Career

UFC President Dana White received a mountain of scrutiny when his promotion decided a few months ago to release top ten welterweight fighter Jon Fitch.At the time, Fitch was coming off a loss to Demian Maia, which moved his record to 1-2-1 over his las…

UFC President Dana White received a mountain of scrutiny when his promotion decided a few months ago to release top ten welterweight fighter Jon Fitch.

At the time, Fitch was coming off a loss to Demian Maia, which moved his record to 1-2-1 over his last four fights. White stated several times that it was never anything personal with Fitch, and while his wrestling based style may not have resulted in the most exciting performances, it ultimately had nothing to do with his release.

“I have nothing against Jon Fitch, I never did. It was all hyped up bulls—t,” White said about the former UFC fighter when speaking to the media following the conclusion of UFC 161. “I think Jon Fitch used it as a little bit of ammo when he got cut and tried to spin it that I hated him and all this other stuff, which was complete bulls—t. I felt that Jon Fitch was on the downside of his career.”

Fitch quickly signed with upstart promotion World Series of Fighting, where he made his debut with the organization on Friday night.

It did not end well for the American Kickboxing Academy welterweight.

Just seconds into the first round of his fight against fellow former UFC fighter Josh Burkman, Fitch got caught with a quick punch that hurt him before being stuck in a guillotine choke that landed the two competitors on the mat.

Burkman wrenched up the choke and before he could react, Fitch was unconscious. The entire fight lasted 41 seconds.

When it was over, White received a slew of messages via Twitter saying Fitch’s loss justified his decision to release him, and ultimately he was correct in his assessment of the former title challenger.

White, who admitted he went out of his way to actually watch the fight on Friday to see Fitch’s performance, says that in reality he was wrong about what he expected would happen. While Fitch may have not had the most impressive record when he left the UFC, White believed that he would probably run roughshod over the other welterweights fighting outside the Octagon.

“I wasn’t right. I cut Jon Fitch, I said he went 1-2-1 since 2011, and he’s on the downside of his career. He’s 35 years old, he hasn’t looked impressive at all, but I said he’ll be a world champion at the World Series of Fighting,” White stated. “I said he’ll go over there and win a title.

“Did I think Fitch was going to win? Yeah, I thought Fitch was going to win. I said Fitch is going to wrestle-f—k him for three rounds and win the fight.”

Fitch did not win and now he will have to work to stage an even bigger comeback to see if he can reclaim a spot in the top ten of the welterweight division.

As for Fitch’s opponent, White knows Burkman very well having employed him for several years after his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter season two. Whether that means Burkman will get the call to return to the UFC remains to be seen.

“I like Josh Burkman very much,” White stated. “Another guy from season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter. A great guy, has always been a good kid, and I’m happy for him.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted

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Anthony Pettis in Line for Lightweight or Featherweight Title Shot Upon Return

It’s nice to have options, and if there is a bright side to Anthony Pettis’ recent knee injury, it’s the news that he’s still in line for a title shot—in two different weight classes. Pettis recently suffered a slight tear in the meniscus in his …

It’s nice to have options, and if there is a bright side to Anthony Pettis‘ recent knee injury, it’s the news that he’s still in line for a title shot—in two different weight classes.

Pettis recently suffered a slight tear in the meniscus in his knee, which put him on the shelf and out of his scheduled fight at UFC 163 against featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

The fight was actually the former WEC champion’s first drop to the featherweight division, which he even said was all about the challenge of facing someone the caliber of Aldo in the Octagon. Pettis also decided to make the drop out of frustration from waiting for a shot at the UFC lightweight title, currently held by Benson Henderson.

Pettis is actually the last fighter to defeat Henderson when they fought on the final WEC show in 2010

With his knee ailing, Pettis will now have to watch Aldo battle “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung. Then, just a few weeks later, he will witness Henderson’s title shot against current top contender T.J. Grant.

Pettis commented in a statement to Fuel TV on Saturday night that he actually believes his knee will be healthy enough that he could replace Grant, if the UFC asked, and face Henderson on the UFC 164 card.

UFC President Dana White was quick to shoot that idea down, not only because Grant has now earned his shot at the title but also because Pettis won’t be ready in time to compete on August 31 despite his claims otherwise.

“Anthony Pettis‘ knee is not bad, but it’s not good,” White said when speaking to the media after UFC 161 ended. “He doesn’t require surgery, (but) he’s going to have to go into therapy.

“He talked to a doctor, and the doctor said he’s out for a good six weeks, and he needs a good therapist, and he needs to get his knee back. That’s what our doctor said. He talked to a therapist in Milwaukee who told him three weeks. I could give a s—t what the therapist in Milwaukee things, I’m listening to the doctor. I’m going to fly him out to Vegas to see Dr. Saunders, too, for a second opinion.”

While Pettis‘ hopes of fighting in his hometown of Milwaukee headlining UFC 164 were quickly shot down, he still received good news in terms of his next fight in the Octagon.

Pettis still hasn’t decided which weight class he will return at, but he is now considered the top contender at both lightweight and featherweight upon his return, and he could battle for either title once his knee is back to full health.

“He’s definitely in line. We’ll see what happens,” White said. “He could do either. He could fight Aldo, (or) he could fight the winner of Henderson and T.J. Grant.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted

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Will Roy Nelson Return to the UFC or Is He Bellator Bound?

Following a disappointing loss at UFC 161, former Ultimate Fighter winner Roy Nelson will enter free agency with serious questions surrounding his next move in the sport. Heading into Saturday night, the world was well aware that Nelson was on the last…

Following a disappointing loss at UFC 161, former Ultimate Fighter winner Roy Nelson will enter free agency with serious questions surrounding his next move in the sport.

Heading into Saturday night, the world was well aware that Nelson was on the last fight of his current contract when he stepped into the Octagon against Stipe Miocic. UFC President Dana White had stated before the card kicked off that the promotion had previously tried to work out a new deal with Nelson, but nothing was settled yet so he would officially be out of contract once his fight was finished.

Unfortunately for Nelson, he may have lost some of his negotiating power after losing a one-sided unanimous decision to Miocic on a fight he took on just over two week’s notice.

Now Nelson enters free agency for the first time in several years, and following the fight offered little information on where his head is at concerning his next move.

“I go where the fans want me,” Nelson said when speaking at the UFC 161 post-fight press conference. “Wherever. If Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta) want me to be with the UFC, then I’ll be knocking on Cain Velasquez’s door or whoever the champ is when I’m knocking on it.”

It’s no secret that Nelson and White share a very tumultuous relationship and rarely see eye to eye, but the UFC’s head honcho does give the heavyweight slugger credit for always showing up and fighting whenever they’ve needed him.

“I respect Roy. Roy has a great chin, hits hard, has great wrestling, great jiu-jitsu. He was a man about this contract, like I told you guys the other day, his contract was up in July we asked for an extension, he said no,” White explained. “He doesn’t have to say yes, his contract’s up, it’s up and we’ve got to get him a fight before it’s over. We did, he stepped up, he took the fight. Do Roy and I always see eye to eye? No, we don’t.

We made an offer to Roy, and we’ll sit down and talk to him again after this.”

White was definitely correct about Nelson’s chin, because in a somewhat dubious honor the season 10 winner from The Ultimate Fighter managed to break the record for most significant strikes absorbed in UFC heavyweight history without being knocked out on Saturday night. Throughout his UFC career, Nelson has taken 437 shots and has never been finished with strikes.

As great as Nelson’s chin was again on Saturday, it didn’t provide him the firepower necessary to offset the offensive output by Miocic. The end result was still a loss, and now Nelson sits in uncertain waters for his future.

There is no denying Nelson’s appeal with fans, because rarely does he enter an arena without a loud chorus of cheers, but he has struggled to beat the best fighters in the heavyweight division during the course of his career. It’s hard to let a commodity like Nelson go, but in the long run like any contract it will come down to negotiation and how much each side is willing to give.

“If they want me here,” Nelson said about his future with the UFC, “I’ll be here.”

It can’t be ignored that regardless of the loss, Nelson could still be a major signing for another organization—most notably Bellator. Nelson is close friends and training partners with current Bellator light heavyweight contender “King” Mo Lawal, and he is also a big fan of professional wrestling, which automatically poses the question, if he could land a fight deal along with a contract to compete in TNA wrestling, would he take it?

Only time will tell the future for Roy Nelson, but these next few months should be very interesting.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Former UFC Fighter Paul Kelly Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison

Former UFC fighter Paul Kelly will spend the next 13 years in prison after being convicted and sentenced for heroin trafficking in his home country of England. Kelly last fought in the UFC in 2011 in a losing effort to Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Si…

Former UFC fighter Paul Kelly will spend the next 13 years in prison after being convicted and sentenced for heroin trafficking in his home country of England.

Kelly last fought in the UFC in 2011 in a losing effort to Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Since that time, he had been competing in regional shows, with his last two bouts taking place in England.

The British lightweight was arrested last year in connection with a drug dealing ring. Kelly was accused of being the mastermind behind it all.

In mid-May, Kelly was found guilty on heroin trafficking charges and now sits in a jail cell where he will spend the next 13 years of his life.

As reported by Gary Stewart of the Liverpool Echo, Kelly was sentenced by Judge Mark Brown, who took little pity on the father of two while laying out a multitude of charges in connection with his conviction. Judge Brown stated during the sentencing hearing:

You are an individual who has traveled widely in the course of MMA and as such would have contacts abroad. It is significant that the seizures involved large amounts of import quality heroin. In my judgment you decided to supply Class A drugs when your contract with UFC was terminated. You obviously enjoyed the high life and saw selling heroin as a way to make easy money.

According to the report, Kelly made up to £100,000 a year when he was fighting in MMA, but following his UFC release in 2011, he allegedly turned to a life of crime when the money dried up.

During his time with the UFC, Kelly went 5-4 overall while earning two Fight of the Night bonuses.

At 28 years of age, Kelly will now head to prison for the next 13 years, which will all but end his fighting career, unless his sentence is overturned or he makes parole in the next few years.

The report from the Liverpool Echo did not state if Kelly’s attorneys were planning on filing an appeal or seeking other legal actions to try and fight the sentencing.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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Anthony Pettis Suffers Meniscus Tear; No Decision on Weight Class for Next Fight

Injuries play a part in any sport, but it was hard to hear the news on Friday that one of the most-anticipated fights of the summer would no longer happen, as, according to Dana White, Anthony Pettis suffered a knee injury in training, forcing him out …

Pettis has been preparing for the bout for several months and just recently made his first attempt at cutting down to featherweight for the fight with Aldo.

Now, the Milwaukee-based fighter will have to sit on the sidelines while “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung gets the title fight against Aldo instead.

Just after the news was released by the UFC that Pettis was injured, the fighter took to his Twitter page to update his condition and explain what happened to keep him out of the fight. According to Pettis, he suffered a small tear in his meniscus, which likely won’t require any kind of surgery that would put him on the shelf for any long period of time.

Most small tears of the meniscus are treated with rest and staying off of the injured knee for two to three weeks.

Pettis‘ manager, Mike Roberts, told Bleacher Report on Friday that he’s not expected to be out for any extended period of time, but given that he would have to be off for several weeks from training, there was no way to take the fight August 3 against Aldo.

Pettis was dropping down to featherweight specifically for the chance to face Aldo at UFC 163 in August. Prior to this fight, he’d spent his entire career at 155 pounds, where he was the WEC lightweight champion. He also picked up a win over current UFC titleholder Benson Henderson.

According to Roberts, the decision about what weight class Pettis‘ next fight will take place remains undecided. With Aldo now locked up for the UFC 163 fight against Jung, it’s likely that Pettis would have to sit even longer to get a shot at the featherweight belt.

Meanwhile, the UFC lightweight title will be up for grabs on August 28 when Henderson faces T.J. Grant in the main event of UFC 164 in Milwaukee. If Henderson wins, it could set up a huge rematch with Pettis before the close of 2013.

For now, however, Pettis remains sitting dejected on the sidelines, dealing with an injured knee while contemplating what could have been.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

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