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Controversial Canelo-GGG judge Adalaide Byrd’s status in question for UFC 216 in Las Vegas
If you’re a combat sports judge, it’s never a good thing when your name is known. Indeed, that is the case with Adalaide Byrd.
Byrd came under fire this past weekend in the wake of her score for the boxing super fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The thrilling bout ended in a draw, which Byrd scored 118-110 (10 rounds to two) for Alvarez.
The result, and especially Byrd’s scorecard, incurred the wrath of the combat sports world on social media. It also leaves in question her immediate future of potentially judging next month’s UFC 216, also taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
A report from FOX 5 in Las Vegas indicated the Nevada State Athletic Commission didn’t select Byrd to work UFC 216, though the decision was made prior to Canelo-GGG and had nothing to do with her scorecard on Saturday.
In a later story posted to MMAFighting.com, NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said a decision on Byrd’s UFC 216 status hasn’t been made.
“I will speak with the chairman (Anthony Marnell III) and Adalaide, and we will decide in a week or so,” Bennett said.
Judges for the UFC 216 interim title fight between Tony Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and Kevin Lee (16-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) were selected at a Sept. 11 NSAC meeting; Byrd was not among them. Fights on the rest of the card, including flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson’s (26-2-1 MMA, 14-1-1 UFC) attempt at a record 11th consecutive title defense vs. Ray Borg (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC), have yet to be assigned judges.
Bennett’s assessment of Byrd’s status comes on the heels of him expressing disapproval of her Canelo-GGG score, which baffled the masses. He hinted that she could take a break from judging.
“I’m not going to put her right back in,” Bennett said, via the Los Angeles Times. “She’ll still be in the business … but she needs to catch her breath.”
“Like in any profession, you have a bad night,” Bennett added. “Unfortunately, she didn’t do well. I can tell you she conducts training for us, takes judges under her wing … but her score was too wide.”
UFC 216 airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
For more on UFC 216, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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