The UFC's 2025 schedule is in the books.

This past year was busy and booming not only for fighters, promoters, and coaches, but also for referees. The UFC held events in 10 U.S. jurisdictions (California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, and Tennessee, Washington) and 11 international countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Texas, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom).

Over the span of 12 months, the UFC promoted 42 events. During those shows, 49 referees were used – a 2 percent decrease in the number of referees (50) used across 42 events in 2024.

Below is a full list of every referee who officiated at least one UFC fight in 2025 (in alphabetical order by last name). The list does not include Dana White’s Contender Series, "Road to UFC," or "The Ultimate Fighter" fights. The data was calculated using the comprehensive MMA database Tapology.

Bruce Allen, Mike Beltran, Nick Berens, Lukasz Bosacki, Justin Brown, Mitch Cadlick, Patricio Carlos, Nick Cimmarusti, Gary Copeland, John Cooper, Herb Dean, Andrew Glenn, Marc Goddard, Blake Grice, Kerry Hatley, Jason Herzog, Chris Hill, Jeff Hobby, Luc Lefebvre, Horacio Lopez, Kevin MacDonald, Rob Madrigal, Bassel Mahgoub, Osiris Maia, Nate Mann, Brent McKeehan, Eric McMahon, Rich Mitchell, Dan Miragliotta, Jacob Montalvo, Daniel Movahedi, Gasper Oliver, Erick Philippeaux, Raul Porrata, Jimmy Neely, Steve Perceval, Jim Perdios, Keith Peterson, Sal Ram, Jeff Rexroad, Vitor Ribeiro, Tyrone Roberts, Fernando Salas, Joao Claudio Soares, Mark Smith, Zach Teiberis, Chris Tognoni, Frank Trigg, Matt Wynne

Nine officials listed above refereed a double-digit number of fights for the promotion. Which of those referees did the UFC use the most in 2025? Scroll through the list below to find out.

11. Blake Grice (11)

A veteran referee and instructor, Blake Grice hit the double-digit mark in 2025, getting assignments in New York, Georgia, Tennessee, and California.

10. Rich Mitchell (15)

Rich Mitchell has officiated for well over a decade at this point. Whether it's the Middle East, France, or Australia, there's a good chance Mitchell will officiate some bouts when the UFC travels abroad.

9. Keith Peterson (19)

One of the most recognizable figures in MMA officiating, Keith Peterson saw a drastic dip in UFC bouts officiated. However, he remains one of the most active referees in the sport, officiating nearly every weekend somewhere, mainly in the Northeast.

8. Dan Miragliotta (20)

One of the most seasoned referees in the game, Dan Miragliotta, remains a go-to. He refereed 20 UFC bouts in 2025 with a large amount of regional bout as well.

7. Kerry Hatley (32)

Longtime referee Kerry Hatley continues to see an increase in his UFC workload year-after-year, particularly after receiving his Nevada license in 2023.

6. Chris Tognoni (43)

Tune into a UFC Apex card and there's Chris Tognoni. He's comfortably remained one of Nevada's favorite choices, frequenting UFC broadcasts week after week during the promotion's home events.

4. Mike Beltran/Mark Smith (44 – tie)

Coming in at No. 4 is… well, we have two No. 4s. Mike Beltran made a triumphant return to the refereeing scene after battling some health issues. His pace of officiating was so high that he tied 2024 leader Mark Smith at 44.

3. Herb Dean (51)

Even your MMA casual friend knows Herb Dean. He travels the globe week after week, refereeing events big and small. Oftentimes, Dean gets the biggest assignments. In 2025, he officiated five UFC title fights.

2. Jason Herzog (59)

Jason Herzog has steadily been one of the most-used referees in the UFC for years now. In 2025, he refereed four UFC title fights. In 2024, he came in at No. 4. This year, he gets the silver medal.

1. Marc Goddard (60)

Long one of the most trusted officials in Europe, Marc Goddard has become one of the most respected (if not the most respected) referee in mixed martial arts. In fact, in 2025, he was trusted more than ever before – and the numbers show it. No one refereed more fights than this British regulatory pioneer. Goddard was also the third man in the cage for 10 UFC title fights in 2025 alone.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Leading third men: 11 referees who oversaw the most UFC fights in 2025