Legendary Referee Criticizes UFC 316 Official for Major Mistake

John McCarthy, a renowned MMA referee, expressed his frustration over a controversial refereeing decision at UFC 316. McCarthy reviewed the event and focused on an incident during Kayla Harrison's victory over Julianna Pena. Referee Vitor Ribeiro deducted a point from Pena for illegal upkicks but restarted the fight standing, which McCarthy deemed a mistake. McCarthy argued that the fight should have resumed with Harrison in her dominant ground position. While he agreed with the point deduction, he criticized the decision to restart the fight on their feet, stating that fouling should not allow a fighter to escape a disadvantaged position. Fans praised Ribeiro for the prompt point deduction, hoping this sets a precedent for future referees.