UFC Vegas 111 delivered a mix of excitement and controversy. After the betting scandal at UFC Vegas 110 last week, Dana White and Co. returned to Sin City hoping to deliver a more memorable event. For fight fans, it turned out to be a week to remember, as the UFC Apex card provided plenty of excitement despite initially seeming lackluster. The energy picked up once the action began, highlighted by one of the year’s standout knockouts.

The main card alone featured four stoppages, offering a thrilling showcase, though not without controversy. Veteran referee Mark Smith’s calls remain a hot topic among fans and analysts. One particularly contentious moment occurred in the middleweight bout between Christian Leory Duncan and Marco Tulio. Momentum shifted in the second round when Duncan’s spinning back-elbow opened a cut and put Tulio at a disadvantage. After the back-fist landed, Tulio lost his footing and couldn’t recover, and Duncan read the situation and finished him.

However, referee Mark Smith’s slow response to stop the fight reportedly put Tulio’s health at risk. Smith hesitated before intervening while Duncan landed another punch to Tulio’s face, ultimately sending him to the hospital. Hours later, an update on Tulio’s condition came from ‘Blood Money MMA’ on X, which posted, “Bad reffing by Mark Smith just cost Marco Tulio 4 years off his life. How did he not know Tulio was out when he folded lifeless to the ground? He was literally 14 inches away watching him slump down and still allowed that life-changing shot happen smh.”

This was only the beginning of controversial calls by Smith on the main card. The veteran referee, who has officiated over 800 MMA bouts according to Sherdog, faced criticism again in the headliner between Gabriel Bonfim and Randy Brown. Many fans and analysts accused him of an “early stoppage,” as it appeared Randy Brown was beginning to recover after the knee strike when Smith called off the fight. Fans were quick to voice their frustration. Here’s what they had to say.

UFC Vegas 111 sparks outrage as fans label Mark Smith “worst” referee

In the main event, Bonfim defeated Brown by knockout via knee at 1:40 of Round 2. Early in the round, Bonfim landed a hard knee while Brown ducked, sending him crashing to the canvas. Smith quickly stepped in and stopped the fight, a decision that immediately drew criticism from fans who felt the stoppage was premature. Many fans drew comparisons to the Marco Tulio fight, noting that Tulio’s stoppage was “incredibly late” while Randy Brown’s was “incredibly early.”

One fan asked, “Did the first bad stoppage influence the second? Were they planned? Unlikely, but possible. The UFC refs need to get their act together.” This seemed partially accurate, as Tulio suffered from the referee’s delayed decision, leaving a dent in his forehead from the spinning elbow by Leroy Duncan. UFC veteran and commentator Dominick Cruz confirmed on X, “There is a dent in Tulio’s forehead from that spin elbow from Leroy Duncan.”

The night made it clear that Mark Smith had two questionable stoppages. MMA fans can be passionate, for better or worse, and this was not the first time Smith faced backlash. At UFC Vegas 101, Smith stopped the fight between Chris Curtis and Roman Kopylov with one second left on the clock after a head-kick knockdown. Curtis’s coach, Eric Nicksick, called Smith an “egomaniac” and raised concerns about bias and consistency.

A similar incident occurred at UFC Vegas 97, when fans criticized Smith for allegedly ignoring “blatant” illegal strikes, specifically a back-of-the-head shot by Steve Garcia against Kyle Nelson. With the recent late-stoppage controversy leading to Tulio being hospitalized, fans highlighted the risk to fighters. One fan commented, “The refs are absolute clowns, Mark Smith that stupid f–k has probably caused so much CTE for fighters.”

Some even called for the commission to step in, with another fan writing, “Mark Smith might need a little break from being in the Octagon.” Adding to the criticism, Ariel Helwani and UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili also spoke out, confirming the “early stoppage.

MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee noted, “Mark Smith protected the fighter there, like he’s supposed to.” However, some fans saw Smith’s inconsistent timing as a problem in these high-paced fights. One fan commented, “Mark Smith didn’t even see that lol. He’s just always either too fast or too slow. Not built to ref these fights.”

With fans frustrated over Smith’s calls, this event adds another chapter to the ongoing controversies surrounding UFC refereeing. What’s your take on the referee’s blunder? Share your thoughts below.