Irish UFC fighter Kiefer Crosbie has slammed referee Marc Goddard for ‘playing’ with his life after defeat in Shanghai last weekend.
Crosbie suffered his third successive defeat in Dana White‘s promotion at UFC Shanghai when he was stopped by Chinese fighter Taiyilake Nueraji in the first round.
However, the loss came in controversial style, as the 35-year-old was finished on the canvas moments after being struck with a brutal illegal knee to the head while on the ground.
The impact of Nueraji’s knee split Crosbie’s cheek open instantly, and blood began to leak heavily from his face.
Goddard jumped in to call for an official timeout in the bout as the UFC‘s doctor entered the Octagon to examine the cut.
Nueraji was subsequently deducted two points for the illegal move, while Crosbie showed his warrior spirit by confirming he was good to continue the fight.
But as soon as the fight restarted, Nueraji put his foot on the gas, floored Crosbie, and finished his opponent with some nasty ground and pound on the floor.
Although Crosbie had cleared things up during the fight in terms of being able to proceed, he has since asserted he was in no fit state to make such a decision, calling Goddard’s decision to let him fight on ‘ridiculous.’
What did Kiefer Crosbie say after UFC Shanghai defeat?
“Yeah, take away a point and I’ll carry on. Sound,” Crosbie wrote via Instagram on Sunday.
“‘My job is to keep you safe at all times.’ How come I didn’t get five minutes, Marc Goddard? I got 45 seconds and couldn’t even see straight or remember what happened.
“Obviously, I was gonna continue because that’s what fighters do, but to rush me back in whilst still concussed and confused is f****** ridiculous. Playing with my life. Ridiculous call.”
Crosbie later clarified that he believes Goddard is one of the best referees in MMA, but still labelled his call ‘a horrendous decision.’
“And don’t get me wrong, I’ve said for years Marc is one of the best referees in the game, if not the best,” Crosbie added.
“But that was a horrendous decision. I’m concussed and on wobbly legs, can barely see straight with blood in my eyes, and I’m rushed back into a fight after being partially KO’d by an illegal knee.”
Members of the MMA fraternity were quick to respond to Crosbie’s words.
One wrote: “Why continue if you are unable to?”
While another said: “You choose when you get up, the five minutes start when the fight is paused, you said you were ready.”
According to the unified rules of MMA, a doctor ‘has up to five minutes to make their determination’ of a fighter injured by an illegal blow.
If, like in Crosbie’s case, the doctor then deems the fighter fit to continue, the rules state ‘the referee shall as soon as practical restart the fight.’
However, the rulebook also states that, unlike the low blow foul rule, a fighter injured from an illegal strike ‘does not have up to five minutes to use at their discretion.’
It also adds that ‘the fouled fighter is not guaranteed five minutes of recovery time,’ and ‘the fighter cannot avail himself of the remaining time’ if there is some of the five minutes foul time remaining.
So, in Crosbie’s case, it seems he may have been allowed more time to recover if he had suggested to Goddard that he needed it.
He would’ve been awarded a disqualification victory if he told Goddard he was no longer able to continue.
But there is nothing that states Crosbie had to be awarded the full five minutes after the illegal strike.
Nonetheless, it was a harsh way to end the fight, with Crosbie now having suffered three defeats in the same number of fights since his UFC debut in September 2023.
UFC Shanghai also witnessed Johnny Walker score a huge upset win over Zhang Mingyang in the headline act, while Aljamain Sterling and Sergei Pavlovich both claimed wins on the main card.