A caller making a public comment during Wednesday’s NSAC meeting questioned Douglas Crosby’s judging ability
During the opening moments of Wednesday’s Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting, a “formal complaint” was lodged against MMA judge Douglas Crosby.
Every NSAC meeting has time allotted for public comments. Concerned parties can deliver those comments in person or via a call-in number for the meeting. The only public comment made during December’s meeting related to Crosby, who served as a judge at UFC 282, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In addition to being cageside for several UFC 282 fights, Crosby served as the judge for Friday’s Bellator 289 main event fight between Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello. Crosby was one of the judges for the first of two UFC 282 fights that went to the scorecards — Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon and Magomed Ankalaev vs. Jan Blachowicz.
The caller offered the following comment to the NSAC:
“I’m calling in, not pertaining to any (NSAC) agenda item, but rather to lodge a formal complaint about the judging on UFC 282 that was hosted last weekend in Vegas. I want to know, if possible, why Douglas Crosby, in particular, was allowed to judge an event Friday night in the Northeast and then fly across the country Saturday morning, all the way to Vegas, to then judge fights Saturday night and he was deemed mentally fit to do so. It seems a bit ridiculous, in my mind.
“I think it’s very telling that for the entire tenure, as far as I can tell, of Bob Bennett, when he reigned as NSAC executive director from 2014 to 2021, Crosby was not allowed to judge a UFC event, as far as I can tell, scanning MMA Decisions, and when (current NSAC executive director) Jeff Mullen took his place, that Crosby was suddenly back judging those events. It seems a bit ridiculous.
“He (Crosby) demonstrated criminal incompetence, in my opinion, judging that event over the weekend and I don’t understand why it was allowed to happen.”
Crosby was widely criticized for his 50-45 score in favor of Sabatello in the Bellator main event. The other judges for that fight, Eric Colon and Bryan Miner, both scored the bout 48-47 in favor of the winner, Raufeon Stots.
As for UFC 282, Crosby scored the Pimblett vs. Gordon fight 29-28 in favor of Pimblett. He awarded the first two rounds to Pimblett and the third round to Gordon. Crosby’s score was the same as Ron McCarthy’s. The other judge for that contest, Chris Lee, also scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Pimblett. However, Lee gave the first round to Gordon and the second and third rounds to Pimblett.
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UFC
As noted on the NSAC meeting agenda, “The Commission is precluded from acting on items raised during Public Comment that are not on the agenda.”
*Bloody Elbow reached out to the NSAC for comment, but did not receive a reply before publication.
The Mohegan Tribe Athletic Department also previously noted that Crosby is under review following his controversial Bellator scorecard.