Veteran UFC referee Mark Smith was compelled to depart T-Cell Area on Saturday evening after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament whereas officiating a bout at UFC 324. The damage, sometimes related to athletes within the cage, was an uncommon prevalence for sports activities officers, and followers grew to become involved when video footage confirmed Smith being carried away by Nevada State Athletic Fee personnel.
UFC referee Mark Smith suffers anterior cruciate ligament tear throughout UFC 324 battle
Smith officiated the middleweight bout between Ateva Gauthier and Andrei Pryaev, which lasted three rounds and led to a unanimous determination for Gauthier. Regardless of his accidents, Mr. Smith remained on the scene lengthy sufficient to lift his hand to Mr. Gauthier after the decision.
UFC President Dana White addressed the incident in his post-fight press convention. “Nobody requested me in regards to the referee tearing his ACL throughout the sport,” White mentioned. He confirmed the severity of the damage, stating that Smith had “broken his anterior cruciate ligament” and needed to be carried from the world. White likened the state of affairs to announcer Bruce Buffer, who tore his ACL whereas introducing Georges St-Pierre throughout the primary occasion at UFC 129 in 2011.
Mr. Smith is a former U.S. Air Pressure fighter pilot, member of the Thunderbirds Demonstration Crew, and certainly one of Nevada’s most lively referees. He has directed roughly 300 UFC bouts over the previous three years. His background as a pilot and navy veteran makes him effectively fitted to the split-second decision-making required of blended martial arts referees.
This damage will seemingly sideline Smith for a good portion of 2026. ACL reconstruction sometimes requires a restoration interval of 6 to 9 months earlier than returning to full exercise, and in some circumstances can take as much as 12 months. Smith posted a message of encouragement on Instagram after being helped backstage, however didn’t launch particulars of his accidents.
