MMA referee Vyacheslav Kiselev was widely criticized for his inability to put a halt to the bout between Elizeu and Benoit in UFC 267 after which he was suspended
When Benoit Sant-Denis was paired alongside Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos for his UFC debut, the Frenchman was envisaged to have gotten a favorable opening bout.
With Brazilian Elizue stepping out in the ring after a hiatus of a year owing to his knee injury, Benoit was up against a fighter massively lacking for form. Unfortunately for Benoit though, things failed to transpire in that fashion with Elizue as fresh as ever as he handed over an absolute clobbering to the French fighter.
MMA Referee Suspended For Horrid Officiating During UFC 267
However, more than Elizue’s dominance on the night, what really made heads turn was Vyacheslav Kiselev officiating during the matchup. The UFC referee was the third man in the octagon for the showdown between the Brazilian and Frenchman with his refereeing coming under severe questioning.
Despite Elizue wobbling Benoit’s head inside only the second round ensuing which he schooled Benoit with an onslaught, Kiselev refused to put an end to things. While Benoit showed immense heart and will to stay on his feet and continue sparring, it was clear that he was severely knackered, a fighter who needed the referee to intervene to ensure his safety.
UFC has pulled referee Vyacheslav Kiselev from his other #UFC267 assignments due to his performance during the Zaleski dos Santos-Saint Denis fight. pic.twitter.com/lt04N8b6ax
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 30, 2021
“He will not be refereeing any more tonight after what we all witnessed in the Saint-Denis/Zaleski dos Santos fight,” the commentator continued.