{"id":268897,"date":"2025-11-08T00:48:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T00:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/268897\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T00:48:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T00:48:11","slug":"ufc-referees-ranking-the-best-third-men-in-the-octagon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/268897\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Referees – Ranking The Best Third Men In The Octagon"},"content":{"rendered":"

UFC referees have arguably the most important job on fight night, to keep the fighters safe. The best thing a referee can do is not be known. The only reason we ever should be talking about UFC referees is if they\u2019ve done a great job, whether it be spotting an eye poke<\/a>, stopping a fighter from sustaining more damage or noticing something that we don\u2019t see on the broadcast.<\/p>\n

With that being said, it\u2019s becoming more frequent that UFC referees are making mistakes that are forcing them into the headlines.<\/p>\n

We know that UFC president Dana White isn\u2019t afraid to cut a UFC referee, think Steve Mazzagatti<\/a> or Mario Yamasaki<\/a>\u2026 but we take a look at those that he hasn\u2019t sacked.<\/p>\n

We rank the best UFC referees who feature most often on UFC cards. Understandably, referees from local associations are given the chance to referee on big cards, think Paris or London, however, we are only going to look at the most prominent UFC referees in our list.<\/p>\n

UFC Referees \u2013 The Ranking<\/p>\n

We are going to rank the following UFC referees: Mark Smith, Marc Goddard, Mike Beltran, Herb Dean, Jason Herzog, Dan Miragliotta, Keith Peterson and Chris Tognoni.<\/p>\n

We will be ranking them either A*, A, B or F. A* being the best of the best, A being a great pick for a main event, B highlighting a referee who is good but makes a lot of mistakes and F being a referee who needs to go back to a refereeing course.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

A* Referees
\nMarc Goddard and Jason Herzog<\/p>\n

There are only two referees at the moment who warrant the accolade of being in the A* tier and they are Marc Goddard and Jason Herzog.<\/p>\n

The reasons for this? Simple. They do their job and they do it well.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at Marc Goddard. He\u2019s always clear and demands respect in the octagon. The Englishman commands the area and nothing is done without his say. Most of all, Goddard communicates with the fighters about any issues that may arise throughout the fight, makes them aware of what is going on and what is happening next.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>April 12, 2024: Referee Marc Goddard steps in and stops the fight between Light Heavyweights Impa Kasanganay and Alex Polizzi during the second PFL Regular Season event, Friday, April 12, 2024 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, NV. \/Cal Media. Las Vegas United States of America \u2013 ZUMAc04_ 20240412_zma_c04_210 Copyright: xChristopherxTrimx<\/p>\n

Of course, he isn\u2019t without his flaws, like every other one of the UFC referees on this list. Notably, he\u2019s been criticised for his early stoppages; however, we\u2019d always rather a referee be too early than too late.<\/p>\n

Cedric Doumb\u00e9\u2019s fight with Baissangour Chamsoudinov was stopped due to a toe injury suffered by Doumb\u00e9 when Goddard was the referee. The fighter pleaded with the referee that he was suffering from a splinter being stuck in his foot, however, the referee stopped the bout as he assumed Doumb\u00e9 didn\u2019t want to fight.<\/p>\n

Despite these mistakes, he does more good than bad, is a dominant force in the octagon and you know what you get with Marc Goddard, making him an A* referee.<\/p>\n

That takes us on to Jason Herzog. Like Goddard, he\u2019s a reliable pair of hands in the octagon. In difficult situations, such as during the UFC 321 main event<\/a>, he keeps a cool head, follows protocol and more often than not comes to the logical conclusion.<\/p>\n

Although he does mistakes, he\u2019s extremely transparent with them and is always looking to improve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>April 7, 2023: PFL Referee Jason Herzog checks on Featherweight Martina Jindrova at the conclusion of the PFL 2 Regular Season Fight Night at The Theater inside the Virgin Hotel on April 7, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV. \/CSM. Las Vegas United States of America \u2013 ZUMAc04_ 20230407_zaf_c04_175 Copyright: xChristopherxTrimx<\/p>\n

The key mistakes he\u2019s made include not stopping Anthony Smith\u2019s beating by Glover Texeira earlier than he did. Further, Jared Cannonier and Valentina Shevchenko have blamed Herzog for losses, however, they come across as excuses, rather than facts against Herzog. The way in which Herzog handled the UFC 321 main event situation was perfect. He was always in control, followed the protocols word for word and came to the correct decision.<\/p>\n

A Referees
\nMike Beltran, Herb Dean, Mark Smith<\/p>\n

Here comes a little controversy. \u2018A\u2019 referees are those who you would trust to referee the big cards, those who don\u2019t look out of place briefing the main event fighters in huge fights and those who lay down the law in convincing, confident fashion but just don\u2019t do enough to warrant an A* rating.<\/p>\n

Mike Beltran is one of those men. The stern, no-nonsense moustache-donning referee is more often than not solid in the octagon. He is clear, strict and offers plenty of warnings for potential fouls during the bouts that he referees. He certainly makes more great calls than poor ones, although he isn\u2019t without controversy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>April 12, 2025, Miami, Fl, Miami, Fl, United States: Mike Beltran at UFC 314 \u2013 Volkanovski vs Lopes at Kesaya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, FL \/PxImages Miami, Fl United States \u2013 ZUMAp175 20250412_zsa_p175_264 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex<\/p>\n

During a fight featuring Drew Dober, Beltran allowed the American to receive multiple unanswered shots before stepping in to stop things. Likewise, in the bout between Trey Ogden and Nikolas Motta, Beltran stepped in to stop things despite no tap from Motta (who was stuck in a submission), nor was Motta unconscious. Not an amazing look for Beltran.<\/p>\n

Herb Dean is also one of the more well-recognised, well-respected UFC referees. With a five fight MMA career behind him, Dean knows what it\u2019s like to be in the octagon, something that not all UFC referees can boast. He\u2019s often selected as the head referee for UFC cards, showing just how respected he is within the business<\/a>. He was hailed for his impressive stoppage in the UFC 48 heavyweight title bout between Tim Sylvia\u00a0and\u00a0Frank Mir. No one saw a tap and when Dean stepped in, everyone was surprised. On the replay, however, it was seen that Sylvia\u2019s arm had snapped and despite initial protests, Sylvia thanked Dean for saving his career.<\/p>\n

With that being said, Herb Dean is responsible for some of the biggest \u2018humdingers\u2019 in UFC history. Strap in, this could be a long list. When Khalid Murtazaliev and CB Dollaway met on a fight night card, Dollaway received a brutal beating. Dollaway was not intelligently defending himself, and yet Dean allowed him to take a lot of damage before the round was up. Dollaway couldn\u2019t make it back to his stool and the fight was called off.<\/p>\n

Dean also prematurely stopped the bout between Ben Askren and Robbie Lawler<\/a>, however, on this occasion, he can\u2019t be blamed entirely. Askren had Lawler in a bulldog choke and as Dean was checking on Lawler, his arm went limp. Dean stopped things, however, Lawler popped straight back up and protested the stoppage. With that being said, allowing your arm to go limp isn\u2019t a normal response, especially if you\u2019re not \u2018out\u2019.<\/p>\n

UFC commentator Dan Hardy and Herb Dean<\/a> got into things when Dean didn\u2019t step in and stop the fight between Francisco Trinaldo\u00a0and\u00a0Jai Herbert in 2020. Herbert was clearly out and defenceless, which led Hardy to stand up and scream, \u201cHe\u2019s out!\u201d<\/a> to Herb Dean to encourage him to stop the fight.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s footage of Dan Hardy giving Herb Dean a piece of his mind last night after the late stoppage of the Francisco Trinaldo x Jai Herbert fight.<\/p>\n

Thoughts, folks?<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa5 via @themmapursuit on Twitter and Insta.#UFCFightIsland3<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/hDBRR1TrCX<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) July 26, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite all of these occasions, Dean has been trusted to referee some of the biggest fights in UFC history and will continue to do so going forward.<\/p>\n

Until recent events, Mark Smith would have been a borderline A* UFC referee. Not only did he referee the most bouts in 2023, but he is also a calm, authoritative figure in the octagon. After his famous \u201cFight\u2019s on\u201d phrase to kick off every fight, he\u2019s more often than not anonymous in there, until he needs to be known. He\u2019s constantly close enough to the action to step in whenever he\u2019s needed and always gives fighters the chance to stay in the fight.<\/p>\n

Until this past weekend, Smith was one of the best, but the mistake he made in the fight between Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Ante Delija makes us doubt his ability.<\/p>\n

Following a sequence of unanswered shots, Smith jumped in shouting, \u201cstop, stop, stop\u201d without waving his hands above his head. Everyone assumed the obvious, that Delija had scored another finish victory. He ran back towards his corner and his team jumped on the cage to celebrate with him. The \u2018loser\u2019 of this fight was allowed to have his corner team come into the octagon, was allowed to sit on a stool and had two doctors looking at him. Smith quickly made Delija aware that there was a potential eye poke that could have led to the stoppage.<\/p>\n

With a break that lasted over five minutes (the allotted time for an eye poke situation), Smith restarted the bout, confusing everyone. On top of this, Cortes-Acosta went on to score a knockout, meaning that in a matter of moments, Delija went from the elation of scoring a finish victory to being on the wrong end of a vicious knockout. Smith dropped the ball on this one, but overall, he\u2019s a solid third man in there.<\/p>\n

B Tier Referees
\nKeith Peterson and Chris Tognoni<\/p>\n

B tier UFC referees refer to those who are sometimes given the main event slots, however, they are only ever trusted to referee fight night headliners. It\u2019ll be extremely unlikely to catch either of these two men in the main event of a PPV and they aren\u2019t often trusted with the \u2018big\u2019 fights.<\/p>\n

Keith Peterson and Chris Tognoni fall into this category.<\/p>\n

Keith Peterson shot into headlines when Dominick Cruz called him out for smelling like alcohol and cigarettes following Cruz\u2019s loss to Henry Cejudo in 2020. Peterson stepped in to stop the fight too early, denying Cruz the chance to fully recover.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s made a string of errors when he is scheduled to referee the \u2018big\u2019 fights, which is why he tends not to be given the opportunity very often. Notably, Peterson failed to address the fouls committed by Michael Chandler against Charles Oliveira in their rematch. He did the same (or didn\u2019t) when Usman Nurmagomedov defeated Paul Hughes in their rematch earlier this year.<\/p>\n

His nickname \u2018no nonsense\u2019 has come round to bite him due to his multiple errors when given the big chances.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s strict in there, but there\u2019s huge room for improvement.<\/p>\n

Chris Tognoni isn\u2019t a bad referee at all. Tognoni\u2019s main issue is that he isn\u2019t authoritative enough in the octagon. An official since 1997<\/a>, Tognoni is often caught too far away from the action, which gets him into sticky situations. This leads to him missing key aspects of fights such as eye pokes.<\/p>\n

This past weekend he completely missed a tap, leading to the fighter getting put unconscious. This was massively criticised by fans and the media and will certainly play against Tognoni getting a big fight any time soon. It would be more of a surprise to see him in a PPV \u2018big fight\u2019 anytime soon.<\/p>\n

Referee Chris Tognoni just completely MISSED the tap and instead Kevin Christian gets choked out.<\/p>\n

Awful job. #UFCVegas110<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) November 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

F Tier \u2013 Terrible Referee
\nDan Miragliotta<\/p>\n

The F tier is reserved for one man and one man only. \u2018Big\u2019 Dan Miragliotta. How Miragliotta gets given the responsibilities of some of the biggest fights is baffling. He\u2019s not a competent referee and is one of the worst UFC referees in history.<\/p>\n

He debuted at UFC 78<\/a> and has featured in plenty of bouts throughout the years. The issue is, his pros don\u2019t outweigh his cons. Yes, he is a strong presence in the octagon, he makes himself known and is trusted amongst those in the business. With that being said, the mistakes he makes are truly shocking.<\/p>\n

Starting off with recent events, Miragliotta failed to appropriately deal with a low blow situation between Kevin Holland and Mike Malott. The Canadian hit Holland with two low blows, the second of which seriously affected his game. Holland, in hindsight, shouldn\u2019t have continued. He was no longer fit to fight. Was a point taken off? No.<\/p>\n

Earlier on the same night, Mirgliotta stepped in to stop a fight at the end of a round between Matt Frevola and Kyle Nelson after Nelson had knocked Frevola down and was close to a finish. Except, it wasn\u2019t the end of the round. He stepped in and stopped the fight with three seconds left in the fight\u2026 to call the end of the round. A really confusing and terrible refereeing decision. On top of that, 16 unanswered shots at the hands of Nelson should have led to the stoppage beforehand.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>UFC Fight Night 262: Nelson v Frevola VANCOUVER, CANADA \u2013 OCTOBER 18: Kyle Nelson fights Matt Frevola in a Lightweight bout during the UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs Allen at Rogers Arena on October 18, 2025, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Photo by Tomaz Jr\/PxImages Vancouver Rogers Arena Vancouver, BC Canada Copyright: xTomazxJrx<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t just lately that Mirgilotta has been making mistakes. He called Michael Venom Page as \u201ca piece of sh*t\u201d after the Brit\u2019s fight with Richard Kiely. Throughout the fight, Page was also deducted a point for mocking his opponent, something that Page is famous for.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s John McCarthy up to these days\u2026?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n