UFC judge barred from selecting UFC 305 co-main event mid-event after submitting scandalous scorecard

And within minutes, he was pulled from his assignment for the evening's co-main event between Steve Erceg and Kai Kara-France. Thankfully, the judges weren't needed for that, as Kara-France delivered a stunning first-round victory to the former title contender.

Fans rage after the decision between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Tai Tuivasa

It was expected that the fight between hard-hitting boxers Rozenstruik and Tuivasa would be referee-free, as both men are known for knockouts – whether in the win or loss column. But in the end it went the full distance and by the end of the third round it seemed clear that the away fighter had done more than enough.

When Bruce Buffer read the scorecards, fans were stunned to hear that not only did a judge rule in Tuivasa's favor, but by a clear margin of 30-27. If anything, the fight seemed to be the exact opposite of what David Lethaby had declared on his card.

Fans immediately took to social media to voice their displeasure, with one claiming it was “one of the worst maps in living memory.” This sentiment was shared almost universally and seemed to include the commission in Perth, which decided to take immediate action.

Judge Howie Booth relieved of his duties at UFC 305

Backstage, the decision was immediately made to remove Booth from the position he had been assigned for the evening's co-main event. Kevin Iole was first to report that after this outrageous decision, it was decided he was “done for the day.”

Booth's firing was then announced on the show by Jon Anik, who confirmed that he would not be competing in the co-main event. This decision was met with humor by fans, who generally felt it was the right decision after his scorecard was so far off.

His other assignment that night was far less controversial, although he was the only one Ricky Glenn got a round on in his loss to Song Kenan.

“Don't forget that the Western Australian Combat Sports Commission is the lead committee here,” said David Shaw, UFC's senior vice president, international and content, afterward. “They are responsible for all of these decisions.”

“I guess someone decided the performance probably wasn't worth keeping [Booth] involved for the rest of the evening… It is a good system of mutual control, everyone has to maintain a high standard.

“If I don't do my job or you don't do your job, maybe it's good to sit on the bench for a while and think through the work. Try to figure out how you can get back on track and do it better next time. I think that's a good principle in life in general.

“But it is not my job to say whether the Commission’s decision was right or wrong.”

Jairzinho Rozenstruik reacts as the judge is removed mid-show at UFC 305

Rozenstruik, who was playing hard to get against Tuivasa to move up the UFC heavyweight division, also found the scoreboard to be mixed, but was pleased with how quickly a decision was made to correct it.

“It was crazy,” he told the media after the fight, then added with a wink: “It may be a referee from Australia, but it's OK.”

When he learned of the decision to put Booth out of action for the rest of the evening, he told the reporter: “He should [be].”

Related topics