UFC: Colby Covington says referee Marc Goddard is ‘pathetic’ and should never officiate in the UFC again after Kamaru Usman decision
- Welterweight contender Covington recalls bad decisions in rounds two to five of his title fight loss to Usman
- Covington says Goddard will never referee one of his fights ‘as long as I live, I promise you that’
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington blasted referee Marc Goddard more than one month after his title fight loss to champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 in December.
Covington (professional MMA record 15-2), who lost via punches after Goddard waved the fight off in the fifth round, cited what he believed were officiating slip-ups in several rounds.
“I know I am the most hated man in the UFC and most sports, but man analyse the fight. Break it down and talk about the fake nut-shot, the fake eye-poke, the fake stoppage, the fake ref, the fake [Nevada State Athletic Commission] and how they dropped the ball ... How is that possible?” Covington said to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
Covington went on to describe the fight round-by-round, saying the first round was “an easy 10-9 round for me.” In the second he claimed Goddard incorrectly paused the fight for a supposed illegal strike to Nigerian-American Usman’s (16-1) groin.
“I kick him in the guts and he’s ready to quit. He looks at Marc Goddard and says ‘can I get a timeout? Nut shot!’ the dude got hit in the liver and was ready to fold up like a long chair. Then they call it a nut shot? That’s the fakest foul I’ve ever seen in fighting,” Covington said.
