A UFC fan has taken an unusual approach to addressing what many consider one of mixed martial arts’ most persistent problems: questionable judging. Using the recent Charlie Kirk controversy as leverage, the fan attempted to get Nevada State Athletic Commission judge Sal D’amato removed from his position.
The incident began when a Twitter user operating under the handle @damienfarronMMA posed as D’amato himself, making provocative statements about the Charlie Kirk situation. “I don’t agree with Charlie Kirk. My name is Sal D’amato and my employer is the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Good luck getting me cancelled,” the fake account posted, clearly attempting to create controversy around the judge’s employment.
The impersonation effort appears to be part of a broader frustration within the MMA community regarding D’amato’s judging record. For years, fans and analysts have criticized his scorecards, with many considering him among the sport’s most controversial officials.
D’amato’s reputation in the MMA community is well-documented across various online forums and discussion boards. One Reddit user summed up the general sentiment: “Yea definitely the worst judge. But only when he scores against my bets.” Another fan noted, “He is almost always the judge with the wildest scorecard.”
The judge’s track record has become so notorious that his name frequently appears in discussions about controversial decisions. “I never know what the f**k he’s watching during the fights,” one frustrated fan commented. “He’s probably high.”
Statistical analysis of D’amato’s decisions reveals a pattern that concerns many observers. Between certain periods, he has been identified as having dissenting opinions in a significant percentage of his scored matches, often going against the majority view of both fellow judges and fans.
The criticism isn’t limited to casual observers. MMA forum discussions regularly feature detailed breakdowns of D’amato’s controversial scorecards.
One particularly active user analyzed multiple judges’ records, noting: “Small Ron McCarthy is currently the worst active judge for any and all events. He is putting out huge amounts of questionable decisions.” However, D’amato consistently ranks among the most criticized officials.
The fake Twitter account continued its campaign with additional posts designed to draw attention to the judge’s employment status. “Fire me my name is sal domato and i like conner mcgreggor,” one tweet read, intentionally misspelling both the judge’s name and Conor McGregor’s name.
Other Twitter users quickly joined the conversation, with some expressing genuine frustration about judging quality. “This would save so many fights from bad decisions,” one user replied to the impersonation account. Another added, “Dear Lord, somebody please get this Sal D’amato fired from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.”
Some of the other comments were as follows:
Forum discussions regularly feature comparisons between various officials, with names like Chris Lee, Cecil Peoples, and Adelaide Byrd frequently mentioned alongside D’amato as particularly problematic judges.
“Sal, Ron McCarthy and Chris Lee are the three musketeers of shit judging,” one forum participant noted, highlighting how certain officials have developed reputations for controversial decisions.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has not responded to the fake controversy or addressed concerns about judging consistency.
