The referee of UFC Jacksonville’s main event appears to have accepted responsibility for the controversial stoppage in Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira.
Veteran official Jason Herzog on Friday issued a statement on Twitter that indicated he’d learned a “harsh” lesson and added, “let me be clear, there is only one person to blame. Me.”
Herzog did not specify whether he was talking about Smith vs. Teixeira. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment. An industry source who asked to remain anonymous said the account belonged to him.
Herzog and Smith’s cornermen were subject to fierce criticism for the stoppage, which came in the fifth round after Teixeira brutalized Smith for more than two rounds.