UFC 91: Steve Mazzagatti Won't Ref Brock Lesnar-Randy Couture, and He's OK With That

In Brock Lesnar's UFC debut, he took Frank Mir to the ground immediately and pounded him furiously. But just when Lesnar looked like he might be on his way to a quick TKO, referee Steve Mazzagatti stood them up, saying Lesnar had committed a foul. Shortly after the stand-up, Mir used his superior jiu jitsu to submit Lesnar with a knee bar. Now Lesnar says he doesn't want Mazzagatti to ref his fight with Randy Couture at UFC 91, and Mazzagatti says he's fine with that:

"I'm going to enjoy watching the fight," Mazzagatti said. "It's going to be a great fight, both athletes bring a lot to the sport and I'm going to enjoy watching it."

But Mazzagatti added in the interview with Dave Farra that he doesn't think there's any controversy with his ruling in the Lesnar-Mir fight, and he explained that when a referee sees a blow to the back of the head, he isn't necessarily seeing what a fan thinks he sees when watching TV.

I think Mazzagatti is right, and I think the athletic commission should have told Lesnar to shove it. None of the major sports leagues allow teams to dictate which officials work which games, and the state commissions that regulate boxing and MMA shouldn't either.