Was referee Marc Goddard attempting to assist Dricus Du Plessis in his fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319? Middleweight icon Robert Whittaker certainly thinks so.
Just days after a thoroughly dominant showing by Chimaev in his inaugural UFC title fight, questions are being raised. Did he achieve a knockout at UFC 319? No. However, he made pound-for-pound contender Du Plessis appear to be an inexperienced fighter for much of their encounter on Saturday night.
Throughout nearly all 25 minutes of the match, Chimaev maintained a dominant position on the ground against his opponent. Yet, surprisingly, there were instances when veteran referee Marc Goddard chose to halt the grappling, bringing the fighters back to their feet and into the center of the Octagon.
While the audience at the United Center seemed pleased with the decision, both fans and fighters have criticized the referee’s choices during the fight. Among those voicing their concerns is former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, who suspects that Goddard intentionally sought to give the South African a shot in what was an overwhelmingly one-sided contest.
Robert Whittaker absolutely RIPS into Marc Goddard for his poor stand-ups at UFC 319
Rob woke up and started spitting FACTS👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/w7C3raL3hT
— Kenny Okoye🇳🇬 (@TruthfulUfcFan) August 18, 2025
Khamzat Chimaev record: 15-0 (6 knockouts, 6 submissions)
“That was a terrible stand-up decision [by Goddard]. He just wanted to give Dricus a chance to land some heavy shots. You can’t do that,” Whittaker remarked with a chuckle. “At this point, Chimaev controlled 22 minutes on the ground. Standing them up when he’s most fatigued is just wrong. It happened not just once, but twice. He even separated them while Chimaev had him pinned against the cage, which was his best position. In my opinion, that was just awful.”
Whittaker’s remarks are noteworthy given that he has suffered defeats to both Dricus and Chimaev, the latter notably breaking his jaw during their bout in October 2024. As one of the division’s premier strikers, many might expect him to advocate for DDP. Nevertheless, he acknowledges Chimaev’s overwhelming prowess and is unafraid to highlight some of the officiating missteps that affected him on fight night.
Image Source: Robert Whittaker @ Instagram
