Referee Marc Goddard Defends Rare Point Deduction in Allen vs Duncan Main Event

Referee Marc Goddard took to social media Sunday to explain his decision to deduct a point from Christian Leroy Duncan for an eye poke in the second round of his UFC Vegas 122 main event against Brendan Allen.

The deduction was unusual. Referees rarely take a point for a first infraction, but Goddard said Duncan had already been warned in round one about outstretched fingers toward the face and was reminded again before the second frame began.

"If you watch you will hear me warn CLD in round one for outstretched fingers toward the face," Goddard wrote on X, per Sherdog. He called the sequence "a teachable moment" and said it demonstrated what officials are doing to address a persistent problem in MMA.

Goddard acknowledged the difficulty of changing fighter behavior through brief pre-fight conversations. He noted that referees review the rules one-on-one with each fighter before the bout, including eye pokes, but said it is "very hard to expect an athlete to change 20 years of training and habit with a few minutes of conversation pre fight."

The deduction did not affect the outcome. Allen won by rear-naked choke in the fifth round. But Goddard's willingness to act early sent a message to every fighter on the roster.

Goddard praised Duncan, calling him "a credit to the sport of MMA and an exceptional athlete," making clear the penalty was about the rule, not the man.