UFC 305: Booth Loses Co-Main Assignment After Divisive Scorecard
Judge Howie Booth was removed from the UFC 305 co-main event assignment after returning a 30–27 scorecard for Tai Tuivasa against Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Rozenstruik won the heavyweight contest by split decision on the Perth card in August 2024.
The split decision that prompted the change
The other two judges favored Rozenstruik: Charlie Keech scored the fight 29–28 and David Lethaby returned 30–27. Booth’s card awarded every round to Tuivasa, creating the split verdict despite the two opposing assessments. The official result remained a victory for Rozenstruik.
Booth had also been assigned to the flyweight co-main event between Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg. Ben Cartlidge replaced him for that bout. Kara-France ultimately won by first-round stoppage, so the replacement panel was not required to deliver a final decision.
The commission explains its position
The Combat Sports Commission of Western Australia later confirmed that it supported a change to the judging assignments during the event. Chairman Bob Kucera said the decision followed due process and consultation with the head official. He also confirmed that Booth remained a registered commission official.
That statement limited the consequence to the event’s assignments and did not announce a permanent loss of registration. The episode generated strong criticism of Booth’s heavyweight scorecard, but it did not reverse Rozenstruik’s win. The published result, the change in the later judging panel and Booth’s continuing registration were separate parts of the same event-night controversy.
Sources
- ufc.com: official judges scorecards ufc 305 du plessis vs adesanya
- mmafighting.com: ufc 305 judge criticized for controversial scorecard removed from co main event
- mmafighting.com: combat sports commission of western australia issues statement on removing judge from ufc 305
Article Tags
UFC 305, UFC history, MMA
