UFC 311 referee criticized and praised for aggressive stoppage

What is the proper way for a referee to step in when it’s time to stop a fight?

Some critics think referee Blake Grice showed perfect timing and technique when he stopped the fight between Azamat Bekoev and Zach Reese at UFC 311 on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Bekoev, a late replacement who stepped up in a big way with a first-round TKO win over Reese, was hurting his opponent with hard ground-and-pound strikes.

Grice jumped to stop the fight, but in the process, his body weight and position forced Reese’s head into the mat. Matthew Wells of MMA Junkie called him out in a post on X:

Wells was not alone. Many fans in the MMA community shared the same sentiment.

While Wells and others were critical of Grice’s arrest technique, Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronstetter posted praise for the referee that came from officials at the California State Athletic Commission:

In case you missed the conclusion, here’s a look, and you can see Grice in action at the stoppage time.

Being a combat sports referee – especially in MMA – is a very difficult job. Some will think the referees stopped the fights too soon. Others will criticize them for allowing fighters to take too much damage.

There’s a very fine line, and it’s very difficult to get it right. Also, everyone has a different take on the concept.

Fighters like Dominick Cruz apparently hate referee interference and would rather be put to sleep with a punch than stop a fight.

Grice’s situation was also difficult, as his potential stumbling block could be in hand placement as he physically got between Bekoev and Reese. It could be argued that all the pressure and physical thrust should go towards the fighter who is dealing the damage and not the one who is being saved.

Grice’s weight was shifting downward, causing him to fall on top of Reese, and his hand went to the latter’s neck, forcing the back of his head into the mat.

Because Reese was already in shock, it didn’t take much pressure to pop his head off the mat. Hindsight is 20/20, and it’s also easier to say when you’re not the one tasked with the job, but if anything, Grice should have fired Bekoev instead of covering for Reese.

Hopefully Reese and his team are fine with the ban and Grice’s actions, and the fighter can return to action as strong as ever.

Here’s a look at all the results from UFC 311.

• (c) Islam Makhachev def. Renato Moicano via first round submission (D’arce Choke)
• (c) Merab Dvalishvili def. Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision (48-47×2, 49-46) – (FOTN)
• (POTN) Jiri Prochazka def. Kodra Jamahal via third round TKO
• (POTN) Jailton Almeida def. Serghei Spivac via first round TKO
• Reinier de Ridder def. Kevin Holland via first round submission (rear choke)
• Raoni Barcelos def. Payton Talbott by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27×2)
• Azamat Bekoev def. Zach Reese via first round KO
• Bogdan Guskarov def. Billy Elekana via second round submission (guillotine)
• Defining Grant Dawson. Diego Ferreira by unanimous decision (30-27×3)
• Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)
• Muin Gafarov def. Rinya Nakamura by unanimous decision (30-27×3)
• Bernardo Sopaj def. Ricky Turcios by unanimous decision (30-27.2, 29-28)
• Tagir Ulabekov def. Clayton Carpenter by unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28)