Ultimate Fighting Championship the main event.
The headliners were Duncan (15-3) and Allen (28-7).
UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Goddard, who was refereeing the match, took a point from Duncan for an eye poke in the second round after warning him about outstretched fingers.
Marc Goddard explains Christian Leroy Duncan’s point deduction at UFC Vegas 122
The deduction drew attention because referees rarely take a point for a first offense. In the end, the penalty didn’t affect the outcome of the scoring, as Allen hit Duncan naked in the air in the final round.
Goddard said the referees will review the rules with the fighters in the locker room, paying particular attention to potential eye pokes. He had warned Duncan about his outstretched fingers in the opening round and reminded him to be careful with his hands before the start of the second.
Goddard said dealing with eye-poking is a priority for officials, although he acknowledged it’s difficult to change fighters’ ingrained habits with short pre-fight chats.
“I want to offer some clarity on this because I believe it is a teachable moment and provides insight into what we as officials are doing to overcome certain obstacles,” Goddard wrote of Xi. “From the judges, we go over the rules one on one with the fighters behind the backs before the fight, here we specifically address possible eye pokes. If you watch, you will hear me warn before the CLD with a finger pointing forward, then again with an outstretched CLD. At the start of the next round, ask him to be careful and pay attention to his hands. If there is an eye poke, I will take credit for MMA and an exceptional athlete. Please know that both me and my colleagues know that this is very important to solve and fix.Thank you.
I would like to provide some clarity on this as I believe it is a teachable moment and provides an insight into what we as officials are doing to overcome certain obstacles. As referees, we review the rules one-on-one with the fighters behind before the fight begins, here we specifically address potential eye pokes. If you watch, you can hear me warning CLD about the fingers pointed at his face in the first round. Before starting the next round, I ask him to be careful and watch his hands. Then, when the eye-popping happens, I take decisive action. CLD is a credit to the sport of MMA and an exceptional athlete. Mechanically, there is so much more to dealing with eye pokes in MMA, both proactively (before the action) and correctively (after the action), it is very difficult to expect an athlete to change 20 years of training and habit with a few minutes of conversation before a fight. Just know that both myself and my colleagues know that getting this problem resolved and fixed is a definite priority. All respect to the athletes and our sport. Thank you.
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk)
October 11, 2026