UFC 156: Dana White Reacts to Steve Mazzagatti Reffing Main Event

Steve Mazzagatti

White Upset With Chosen Ref for Aldo vs. Edgar

Steve Mazzagatti is perhaps the most hated referee in the UFC. Many fans would agree that he is responsible for more premature stoppages and oddly-timed separations/stand-ups than any other ref in the business. Dana White even once called Mazzagatti "the worst referee in the history of fights."

And now the Nevada State Athletic Commission has named him the referee for the featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and challenger Frankie Edgar at UFC 156 this Saturday night.

No one, especially White, is happy with this decision. This is mostly due to the fact that both of Edgar's fights with Gray Maynard might have been stopped early on by an uneducated ref who wasn't aware of the incredible amount of damage Edgar can withstand without  losing consciousness.  Just a few days before the event, the UFC President expressed why his frustration with Mazzaggatti over the years gives him a bad feeling about having him in the octagon for the upcoming superfight in Las Vegas (via 5thround.com).

"I could go off for 45 minutes on officiating over [in Nevada]. Steve Mazzagatti is the ref reffing the Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar superfight. What more can I do? Mazzagatti is reffing the superfight. What more needs to be said than that?... I can't do anything. As a promoter, I can't do anything. The fighters can. The fighters can say, ‘Oh my God.' They can say, ‘I don't want him,' and they gotta go in and give good cause on why they don't want him....I can tell you this, if I was a fighter, the last thing I would want to see when I got in the cage is Mazzagatti. That's the last thing I would want to see."

While White's paranoia may be a bit excessive, his concern for the outcome of Aldo vs. Edgar is quite understandable considering how many controversial decisions Mazzagatti has made throughout his career.

This heavily technical main event will most likely be very close, so if a mistake by Mazzagatti gives either fighter any sort of unfair advantage at any time, the legitimacy of the victory will indeed be questioned thoroughly. There can be no room for ignorance or poor judgment in this extremely important match-up that will significantly alter the future of both competitors.

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