Referee rightfully apologises to UFC star who was unnecessarily beaten to a bloody pulp on his watch

Gavin Tucker may defend referee Kyle Cardinal, but his officiating at UFC 215 was inexcusable.

Cardinal had the best view of Gavin Tucker's three-round annihilation at the heavy hands of Rick Glenn on the preliminary card of UFC 215. He stood watching as Tucker's face was literally smashed in over the course of three rounds. In the final round when it became obvious that a comeback wasn't on the cards, the ref was transfixed as Tucker ate 109 strikes and returned fire with just seven of his own. The beating was so one-sided one of the judge Sal D’Amato scored the round 10-7 in Glenn's favour. His final score of 30-24 is rarely seen because usually a fight is stopped before it reaches that point. Tucker was tough enough to see the destruction out until the bitter end, but undoubtedly, he was too tough for his own good. After it was all over, Tucker's brutalised face told the story of the fight. In a statement released on Facebook, he claims his jaw was broken and both orbital bones were fractured in the fight. He explained that Cardinal was so guilty about not intervening that he felt compelled to visit him in hospital to offer his apologies. Tucker didn't accept the gesture. It's just not in his nature, but really, the apology was warranted. It was a bad call. Although Tucker was doing what could be perceived as enough to intelligently defend himself, it wasn't effective. He was still getting tagged repeatedly without reply. Seeing that unfold before your eyes is difficult for anyone to digest, including the fans, the referee and his corner who also have the obligation to protect the fighter. While it was meant to be uplifting, his sign-off was rather chilling. Who knows if 'Tucker 2.0' will be an improvement on the old model after enduring that beating. Here's hoping the savage beatdown didn't stifle the promising hot prospect's growth.