UFC referee Mark Smith had to be carried out of the T-Mobile Arena last night because of an ACL injury, Dana White has revealed.
Fans were left concerned for legendary official Smith after he took charge of Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev on Saturday, with fan footage showing the 52-year-old limping away from the octagon, assisted by medical staff.
The fight went the full 15 minutes, with Gautier winning by decision. Both fighters remained relatively unscathed – though the same could not be said for Smith.
One member of the medical staff carrying Smith appeared to also be carrying a shoe, which left fans to speculate that he had suffered a foot injury. White, though, has confirmed it was an ACL issue, with the official receiving medial treatment after.
Smith hasn’t spoken on what happened, but did post a quote to his Instagram story that read: ‘Always end the day with a positive thought. No matter how hard the day may have been, there is always a reason to be grateful.’
It was Smith’s 884th bout that he had officiated in MMA, making him one of the sport’s longest-serving officials.
UFC referee Mark Smith had to be carried out of the arena after sustaining an ACL injury
Smith had just officiated Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev before receiving medial treatment
And he wasn’t the only one who ended up in hospital following the event. British fighter Paddy Pimblett was rushed to hospital after his blood-soaked battle 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 claim the interim lightweight crown.
The Liverpudlian, 31, had hoped to become the fourth British champion in MMA’s top promotion, but lost on points after being knocked down three times in the epic bout.
Pimblett, who was the favourite to win, had vowed not to go down easy against the American, saying ‘Scousers don’t get knocked out’ in the build-up.
And despite battling back with the ‘The Highlight’ throughout the five rounds, Pimblett’s chin could only take so much and he was taken 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 out in the 37 year old’s favour.
