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“…Get Marc Goddard Out of Main Events” – Dana White Asked to ‘Overturn’ Ciryl Gane vs. Tai Tuivasa at UFC Paris as Fans Say ‘Illegal’ Strikes Allegedly Ignored by Referee

ByDeepak Kumar

Sep 3, 2022 | 7:20 PM EDT

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The main event at UFC Paris saw Ciryl Gane getting a win for France with a dominant performance. Yet his counterpart, Tai Tuivasa, had his moments, chiefly in the second round, where he dropped the Frenchman with a brutal shot.

However, ‘Bon Gamin’ recovered and found the finish with one of the most ferocious striking displays in the heavyweight division. That said, fans had a few words about referee Marc Goddard overlooking what looked like an illegal strike.

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The Aussie came prepared in France; ‘Bam Bam’ danced on Gane’s tone in the first round and made the former UFC heavyweight title challenger sloppy.

Tuivasa capitalized on it in the second round by hurting the hometown fighter. However, ‘Bon Gamin’ quickly rediscovered his rhythm and earned the finish over the streaking heavyweight athlete with 37 seconds left.

Fans react to a referee miss in the UFC Paris main event

Though Gane’s performance was impressive, fans noticed that referee Marc Goddard missed a few illegal shots from ‘Bon Gamin’ during the finishing sequence. They pointed out the same on Twitter.

Hey @marcgoddard_uk can you explain your reasoning on not calling illegal shots to the back of the head. I thought my understanding was those are illegal strikes? In the first Colby/Usman fight Usman landed several of those shots and they weren’t called
— conor pinning tren (@rtcpsrvcyblc) September 3, 2022

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What a win for Ciryl. Masterclass. But funny how yet again Marc Goddard just ignores strikes to the back of the head.
— conor pinning tren (@rtcpsrvcyblc) September 3, 2022

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@ufc @danawhite illegal hammer fist to the back of the head. Blatant @marcgoddard_uk yay or nay? Of course it was inevitable, but…still illegal. When do the rules apply and @ whose discretion?
— Erich Munzner (@erich_munzner) September 3, 2022

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Is Marc Goddard fucking blind?
The shot that dropped Tai was a blatant shot to the back of the head.
— Corey Brennan Of Bodyslam.net (@CoreyBrennanBS) September 3, 2022

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@danawhite and the @ufc need to get @marcgoddard_uk out of #MainEvents!!! Enough is enough!!
— derrickdaniel (@betonitDerrick) September 3, 2022

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THIS WAS NOT A TROLL. GANE ILLEGALLY HAMMER FISTED TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD. THATS A DQ. OVERTURN @danawhite @marcgoddard_uk @seanshelby #UFCParis https://t.co/19Kkd7qDX6
— Pack King Dice (@DwyaneWade2020) September 3, 2022

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The Aussie mixed martial arts professional was showing a big heart before the finish as he kept going, despite taking many fierce shots to the body and head.

Tai Tuivasa had a near finish in the second round

With a finish over Derrick Lewis in his last fight, Tuivasa almost got another shocker with a brutal shot on ‘Bon Gamin’, who has been one of the hardest opponents to crack in the division.

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For a moment, it appeared as though Tuivasa had secured the win and positioned himself as the next UFC heavyweight title challenger. But that was not the case as ‘Bon Gamin’ battled through adversity and did not disappoint his fans.

As the third round started, the French fighter took control of the bout and found a finish after putting the insane volume on his opponent.

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What do you make of the fans questioning the ref for not paying attention to these blows? Share your views in the comments section.