The UFC commentator booth rarely sees Joe Rogan hold back his opinions, and UFC 319’s main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Dricus Du Plessis proved no exception. During what would become Chimaev’s championship-winning performance, Rogan found himself increasingly frustrated with referee Marc Goddard’s controversial decisions to separate the competitors when the Chechen wrestler had established dominant control.
The tension reached its peak during the fourth round when Goddard intervened to break up the action despite Chimaev maintaining clear positional advantage against the cage. Rogan’s immediate reaction was visceral and unfiltered.
“Oh my God! He just separated them… I don’t like that,” Rogan declared during the live commentary, his displeasure evident to the viewing audience. The veteran commentator understood the implications of such referee interference, adding with concern: “Imagine Dricus wins by knockout.”
This wasn’t merely about one moment of questionable officiating. Rogan recognized that such interventions could fundamentally alter the trajectory of a championship bout. When Goddard made a similar decision in the final round, forcing another reset when both competitors were engaged in ground work, the pattern became impossible to ignore.
Chimaev had been systematically implementing his wrestling-heavy game plan, methodically wearing down the former champion through superior grappling technique and positional control. Yet Goddard’s interventions artificially reset these exchanges, potentially robbing Chimaev of the rewards his technical superiority had earned.
The referee’s decisions drew mixed reactions from the crowd, with some spectators cheering the standups that promised more striking exchanges.
This incident represents another chapter in Rogan’s ongoing critiques of Marc Goddard’s officiating. Previously at UFC 297, Rogan had expressed similar frustration when Goddard failed to adequately address what appeared to be illegal strikes during Arnold Allen’s loss to Movsar Evloev.
Despite the controversial officiating moments, Chimaev ultimately secured his long-awaited championship title through a unanimous decision victory.
