One judges’ scorecard on last night’s UFC pay-per-view was so outlandish that it cost him his assignment for the co-main event.
Judge Howie Booth returned a 30-27 card in favour of Tai Tuivasa after he was comfortably defeated by Jairzinho Rozenstruik in one of the more anticipated matchups of UFC 305. The call was in direct opposition to the other two judges who had it in favour of Rozenstruik.
And within minutes he had been removed from his assignment for the night’s co-main event between Steve Erceg and Kai Kara-France. Luckily, the judges weren’t needed for that one, with Kara-France landing a stunning first round finish on the former title contender.
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Fans rage after Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Tai Tuivasa decision
It was expected that the battle of heavy-handed boxers Rozenstruik and Tuivasa wouldn’t need judges, with both men known for knockouts – be that in the win or loss column. But it ended up going the distance and by the end of the third, it appeared clear that the away fighter had done more than enough.
As Bruce Buffer read the scorecards, fans were amazed to hear that one judge had it in favour not just of Tuivasa, but by a wide 30-27 margin. If anything, it seemed that the fight was the exact opposite way, as David Lethaby had declared on his card.
Fans instantly took to social media to voice their displeasure, with one claiming it was “one of the worst cards in memory”. That opinion was almost universally held, and appeared to include the commission in Perth, who opted to take immediate action.
Judge Howie Booth taken off his assignment at UFC 305
Instantly, a decision was made behind the scenes to remove Booth from his position, where he had been assigned to the night’s co-main event. First reported by Kevin Iole, it was decided that he would be “done for the night” after such an egregious call.
Booth’s dismissal was then announced on the broadcast by Jon Anik, who confirmed he was off the co-main event. This decision was met with humour from fans, who generally felt it was the right call after getting his scorecard so wildly off base.
His other assignment on the night was much less controversial, although his was the only scorecard that saw Ricky Glenn given even a round in his loss to Song Kenan.
“Don’t forget that the Western Australian Combat Sports Commission are the lead committee here,” said UFC Senior Vice President, International and Content David Shaw after the fact. “They are responsible for all of those decisions.
“I guess someone made the call that the performance was probably not worth keeping them [Booth] involved for the rest of the night… It’s good checks and balances, everybody needs to be held to 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 reconsider the work. Try to figure out how to get back on track and do a better job next time. I think generally in life that’s a decent principle.
“But it’s not for me to say whether it was right or wrong from the commission.”
Jairzinho Rozenstruik reacts as UFC 305 judge is removed mid-show
Rozenstruik, who was putting a lot on the line against Tuivasa as he makes one more go up the UFC’s heavyweight ranks, felt the scorecard was a wild one as well. But he was happy with how quickly a decision to rectify was made.
“That was crazy,” he told media after the fight, before adding a tongue-in-cheek jab that “It might be a judge from Australia, but it’s fine.”
When he was informed of the decision to shelf Booth for the rest of the evening, he told the reporter “He better [be].”
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