UFC Referee Blake Grice Accidentally Hit During UFC 330 Bout

UFC referee Blake Grice faced an unexpected moment at UFC 330 when he took an elbow to the head. The incident occurred during the middleweight fight between Donte Johnson and Eric McConico.

Within 1:38, Johnson secured a victory over McConico with a direct left hand to the chin. As McConico fell, Johnson attempted another strike. In an effort to shield McConico from further harm, Grice intervened, coincidentally positioning his head in the path of Johnson’s left elbow as Johnson prepared another punch.

Video footage circulated on social media showed Grice looking unsettled as he navigated around the Octagon post-fight. Johnson later extended an apology to Grice, expressing regret for unintentionally striking him. “I’m 2-0 on the night — who else wants some?” Johnson joked before adding, “I’m just kidding. I’m sorry Mr. ref. I’ll buy you a cheesesteak or something, but I didn’t mean to do that.”

Grice seemed to avoid any severe injury. This likely allowed the humorous remarks about the situation on social media to be taken in stride. Comments ranged from suggesting Johnson deserved two knockout bonuses — one for McConico and another for Grice — to praising Grice’s resilience. “Respect to the ref, got an iron chin. Let’s see the kid in fighting shorts next time,” one fan noted. Another joked about the dual knockouts and potential bonuses, while someone humorously reminded Grice to “Protect yourself at all times, Ref.”