It’s normal for referees to make mistakes. But there’s a fine line between brief slip-ups and a delay that puts the fighter’s life in jeopardy. And Fury FC 113 crossed that line one too many times to be actually enjoyable for the fans. A neglectful decision in the Brandom Holmes vs Preston LaGrange bout unleashed a wave of outrage as fans raised a crucial issue with the state of refereeing in combat sports.

As the middleweight fight closed in on the 3-minute mark, the fighters found themselves in a grappling entanglement that was soon about to go horribly wrong. LaGrange locked a tight triangle on Holmes, paving the way for a brutal slam knockdown that left LaGrange limping on the mats.

However, that clearly didn’t feel enough for the referee to step in, marking the first fatal mistake of the night. Things only went south from here, with an additional 15-16 seconds worth of merciless strikes and a knee right at LaGrange’s gut before the bout was officially stopped.

The stoppage came in at 3:13 after a testing round that could very well translate into long-term injury for LaGrange. While there aren’t any updates on Preston LaGrange’s health at the moment, the decision remains controversial. Slam KOs are extremely rare, but fatal nonetheless, and it’s the referee’s responsibility to keep such injuries in check.

What deserves mention, and what the commentators rightfully pointed out, was how Holmes seemed to pull some of his punches in the follow-up sequence. The 6-1 South Carolina native picked his shots slowly and carefully, landing but not going all-out. Perhaps he sensed the finish coming in and took the foot off the pedal a little bit, waiting for the ref to step in.

At the same time, stoppages are in themselves controversial, and early stoppages are equally spited upon as delays. Back in 2015, referee Eduardo Herdy prematurely stopped the Drew Dober vs Leandro Silva bout after a guillotine choke. However, replays later found that Dober wasn’t quite passed out and was able to fight back, resulting in a no-contest decision.

But it’s important to note that the most that early stoppages guarantee is outrage from the fighters and an unsatisfactory watch. When weighed against something which could be potentially life-threatening, the first option doesn’t feel remotely as terrific.

That’s the exact issue raised by the viewers, who had enough of handing out the controls to the referee who didn’t look competent enough to supervise pro MMA fights.

Holmes v LaGrange slam KO becomes the last straw for fans

The internet reacted quickly and loudly as the video clip of the incident surfaced. The referee kept catching strays from the MMA community, which, for once, didn’t fight amongst each other, as they formulated a singular opinion: ban the referee from Fury FC.

The internet made it clear that a moment of life-threatening ignorance could very well cost a referee their career. First raising this issue online, one fan posted the video clip, writing, “What is this ref doing. Brandon Holmes with the brutal slam KO over Preston LaGrange, but apparently that wasn’t enough. What is going on here #FuryFC113.”

Others quickly replied, all sharing a similar sentiment. One user simply quoted, “Ban this ref,” while others drew sharper criticism. “Also did the corner not throw the towel? That really needs to happen in mma more than once every 2 decades,” one user pointed out, frustrated at the consistent referee slip-ups over the years, which more often than not turn into a more pressing health condition later on.

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While the rest of the comment section brought a similar energy, one joke stood out as a sarcastic jab at the female referee: “The ref wanted him dead as if he were her ex or some sh-t.”

“She’s a f–king idiot. Don’t let whoever this moron is back into the cage again. Didn’t know the Texas commission was handing out licenses to the blind,” a rage comment read, clearly highlighting the morbid yet bizarre incident, which could have been much more controversial had the stoppage come any later.

Regardless of intent, the moment reopened serious questions about referee accountability and fighter safety. So, was this an unforgivable delay or just another officiating mistake? Share your thoughts below.