Revealed: Why UFC 324 referee had to be carried out of the arena before receiving medical treatment
Dana White announced that UFC referee Mark Smith had to be transferred from T-Mobile Arena last night due to an ACL injury.
Fans were worried about Smith, the legendary official who took charge of the match between Ateba Gautier and Andrey Pulyaev on Saturday; Fan footage showed the 52-year-old limping away from the octagon with the help of medical staff.
The fight lasted exactly 15 minutes and Gautier won by decision. Both fighters were relatively unscathed; but the same could not be said for Smith.
A member of the medical staff carrying Smith was also carrying a shoe, leading fans to speculate that Smith had a foot injury. However, White confirmed it was an ACL issue and the official later received medial treatment.
Smith didn’t talk about what happened, but shared a quote on her Instagram story: ‘Always end the day with a positive thought. No matter how difficult the day, there’s always a reason to be grateful.’
This was Smith’s 884th bout officiated in MMA, making him one of the sport’s longest-serving referees.
UFC referee Mark Smith had to leave the field after suffering ACL injury
Smith refereed the match between Ateba Gautier and Andrey Pulyaev before receiving medial treatment.
And he wasn’t the only one hospitalized following the incident. British fighter Paddy Pimblett He was hospitalized after his bloody fight against Justin Gaethje ended in defeat.
Gaethje, 37, rolled back the years in Las Vegas as he handed ‘The Baddy’ his first UFC loss to capture the interim lightweight crown.
The 31-year-old Liverpudlian was hoping to become the fourth British champion to ascend to MMA’s top tier but dropped out on points after suffering three knockdowns in the epic bout.
Pimblett, who was the favorite to win, had promised not to give up easily against the American player, saying ‘Scousers cannot be knocked out’ during the preparation phase.
And despite fighting ‘The Highlight’ for five rounds, Pimblett’s chin could only take so much and he was rushed to hospital bruised and bloodied after the fight.
Gaethje raised his arm in anticipation of victory, and Pimblett began applauding as the judges’ scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 were read in the 37-year-old’s favor.
