Two Fights, Two Referee Controversies: UFC Oklahoma City Fans Demand Answers
Fans are left scratching their heads in the wake of questionable calls during UFC Oklahoma City Saturday night.
The fights lived up to the billing. The officiating, however, was quite disappointing, according to many fans. UFCā€™s Oklahoma return produced an action-packed night that featured Dricus du Plessis' emphatic return to the middleweight title picture and Christian Leroy Duncan's biggest win to date.
Yet, as the dust settled, much of the post-event conversation centered not on the winners but on two contentious moments involving veteran referees Kerry Hatley and Herb Dean. Neither incident changed the official result, but both reignited a familiar debate that has been raging in the MMA world, Are inconsistent officiating standards becoming one of the UFC's biggest recurring problems?
Kerry Hatley Draws Criticism After Halting du Plessisā€™ Momentum vs. Usman
The night's biggest talking point arrived in the main event. After nearly a year away from competition, DDP looked every bit like a former champion as he dismantled Kamaru Usman over five rounds. The South African's patented unorthodox striking, coupled with relentless pressure, got the former welterweight king in deep waters.
The controversy, however, unfolded midway through the fight when du Plessis landed a clean punch that visibly rocked Usman. Almost immediately, the former champion gestured toward his eye, believing he had been poked by a thumb.
Referee Hatley, subsequently, briefly paused the action to assess the situation. However, the replays appeared to show a legal punch rather than an eye poke, prompting many viewers to argue that the stoppage unintentionally handed Usman valuable recovery time during one of the fight's most dangerous moments.
Adam Martin Takes Hatley to Task
While DDP ultimately cruised to a unanimous decision victory, plenty of fans believed the interruption may have prevented a possible finish.
Veteran MMA journalist Adam Martin was among those unhappy with the stoppage, writing, "Referee Kerry Hatley is a CLOWN. Just robbed DDP of a fight-ending sequence." Still unconvinced, he later doubled down, adding, "If Kerry Hatley didn't call a timeout for that punch, I'm convinced this fight would have been over in Round 2. #UFCOKC."
Others felt the brief stoppage completely changed the trajectory of the fight. One fan argued that the referee halted the action after a legal punch, giving Usman crucial time to recover and calling the officiating "terrible."
Some of the criticism also shifted toward Usman himself. One viewer questioned why the action was stopped at all, insisting the strike was legal and arguing that fighters shouldn't be the ones calling fouls during a bout.
Another fan went even further, suggesting Usman exaggerated the incident to buy himself valuable recovery time, believing the former champion was on the verge of being finished before the interruption.
To be fair, it remains entirely possible that Usman genuinely believed a thumb had grazed his eye in the heat of the exchange. Split-second situations like these are among the most difficult calls for referees to judge in real time.
Even so, the replay fueled a wave of criticism directed at Hatley, with many arguing the brief stoppage had an undeniable impact on the fight's flow.
Herb Dean Faces Renewed Scrutiny After Missed Illegal Knee in Co-Main Event
The co-main event generated another officiating debate only a few bouts earlier. Christian Leroy Duncan outpointed former title challenger Jared Cannonier with a composed striking performance, but one sequence in the second round quickly overshadowed much of his work.
After knocking the veteran off balance, Duncan threw a follow-up knee as his opponent was grounded. The knee itself missed cleanly, but his shin still made contact with Cannonier while he remained on the canvas.
Under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, knees or kicks to a grounded opponent are illegal. Referee Herb Dean, however, allowed the fight to continue without issuing a warning or stopping the action.
Although Cannonier recovered and finished the fight, fans wasted little time voicing their frustration online, especially after enthusiasts began sharing photos and videos of the sequence.
In hindsight, Dean has found himself under increasing scrutiny throughout the year following several contentious performances, including criticism after Alex Pereira's fight with Ciryl Gane and complaints surrounding other high-profile UFC events.
While referee assignments ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of state athletic commissions rather than the UFC itself, the repeated backlash has only intensified calls for greater consistency in officiating.
For all the memorable performances inside the Octagon, UFC's Oklahoma card ultimately left fans discussing another familiar topic.
