Robert Whittaker defends MMA referees in light of recent controversial calls: "It's a hard gig"
Robert Whittaker has offered his sympathies to MMA referees, many of whom have been on the receiving end of fan criticism due to the nature of some recent stoppages. Whether the MMA world declares the stoppage early or late, refereeing is a thankless job, and 'The Reaper' seems to understand this.
In an exclusive interview with MMA News, the former UFC middleweight champion touched on the difficult job that MMA referees are tasked with. The referees most often accused of improper stoppages are Herb Dean, Jason Herzog, and Marc Goddard, the latter of whom has even earned the ire of some fighters.
Whittaker, however, is different, despite disagreeing with Herzog's recent stoppage of the Nassourdine Imavov vs. Jared Cannonier fight, which saw the former score a fourth-round TKO over the one-time middleweight title challenger. Many felt that the stoppage was too early.
"Mate, being a ref's hard. It's a hard gig and it's easy to point the finger at a ref for being trigger happy or pulling a fight too late or pulling a fight too early, but man, the reality is their job is so hard, so hard. Nobody talks about a ref doing a good job, they only get hammered when they make a mistake or when it's not to the liking of the fans. It's a hard gig and I don't have an opinion on it."
Check out Robert Whittaker share his thoughts on MMA referees (12:51):
Unfortunately, the Imavov TKO wasn't the only stoppage that has drawn controversy as of late. Dean has come under fire for what some have called a late stoppage at UFC 303, where Alex Pereira knocked out Jiří Procházka in devastating fashion.
Ironically, the pair's first bout also had a stoppage that drew criticism, but for being too early instead of late.
Robert Whittaker recently scored a stoppage of his own
Despite being one of the most skilled middleweights in the world, Robert Whittaker is not a prolific finisher. He recently knocked out Ikram Aliskerov at UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22. It was a crushing stoppage and his first since 2017.
Check out Robert Whittaker's knockout of Ikram Aliskerov:
The last time that 'The Reaper' had finished anyone was when he TKO'd Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza, who retired in 2021 after a 2-5 run in his last seven bouts following his loss to Whittaker.