The UFC Qatar event delivered one of the most electric nights of the year. Alongside several newly signed athletes, fans also spotted several familiar figures from the MMA world. Since the card took place close to the Caucasus region, the ABHA Arena crowd included big names like Hasbulla and reigning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who attended the event to support his teammate and close friend, top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan.

The action inside the cage delivered everything fans had hoped for: explosive knockouts, intense back-and-forth battles, and nonstop excitement that kept the crowd on their feet all night. While experienced referees like Marc Goddard, Rich Mitchell, and Daniel Movahedi were on the card, all attention focused on veteran referee Jason Herzog, who was absent for the third week in a row.

Following UFC Qatar, Jason Herzog’s unexplained three-week break raises fresh questions

Herzog has been one of Dana White’s most trusted officials, especially for events held in the Middle East. His absence caught attention when NarcoCop MMA wrote on X, “Another week and another no sighting of Mr. Jason Herzog. FWIW, he has reffed in every single UFC Middle East card outside of one because he was doing a PFL card during the same week.”

Throughout November, Jason Herzog has not worked a single UFC event, and fans have begun to speculate after his name resurfaced in a controversy earlier this year. New York–based journalist Harry Mac reported that more than 100 UFC bouts had been flagged by the FBI for suspicious betting patterns. The situation reportedly stemmed from the controversial UFC Vegas 110 fight, where Isaac Dulgarian defeated Yadier Del Valle by first-round stoppage, a bout followed shortly by Dulgarian’s release from the promotion.

Mac wrote, “Shi- is about to get VERY ugly. Still working to confirm, but it sounds like the Feds are moving to audit Herzog’s fights.” Although Mac offered no concrete evidence to support the claims, the update alone was enough to spark concern and keep Herzog’s ongoing absence under the spotlight.

According to Tapology, Jason Herzog had officiated fights every month throughout 2025: 3 in January, 8 in February, 12 in March, 6 in April, 5 in May, 11 in June, 7 in July, 9 in August, 3 in September, 16 in October, and notably, none in November. While Herzog has remained absent from the cage, he addressed the allegations against him earlier this month.

Herzog calls the allegations against him “absolute stupidity”

Last month, the UFC found itself at the center of a betting scandal linked to UFC Vegas 110, which, interestingly, echoed the chaos of the 2022 UFC Vegas 64 controversy, where they banned multiple fighters and coaches. Earlier this month, journalists like Ariel Helwani and Harry Mac reported that the FBI had flagged several UFC bouts for suspicious betting activity. In response, UFC CEO Dana White revealed he had met with the FBI twice, admitting, “It doesn’t look good, it definitely doesn’t look good.”

Meanwhile, White promised to tackle betting issues more effectively within the promotion. At the same time, Jason Herzog’s name emerged in connection to the scandal, drawing criticism. However, citing his innocence on X, Herzog addressed the allegations on November 4, posting, “In his ‘article’. At first, I thought it was a masterpiece of Trolling. Now I realize it’s just absolute stupidity. Which is followed closely by believing it.”

Currently, the UFC’s betting scandal remains under investigation, and although there are no new updates regarding Jason Herzog, we will provide reports as soon as they become available. So, stay tuned.