Poirier Calls for Yellow Cards to Clean Up UFC Officiating

Dustin Poirier has called on the UFC to bring back yellow cards as a way of cleaning up recent refereeing controversies. The former interim lightweight champion wants the promotion to revive a tool used in Pride Fighting Championships from 1997 to 2007, which allowed referees to dock fighters' purses on the spot for stalling or passivity. Poirier made the suggestion after a weekend in which several bouts drew criticism on social media for perceived inaction from officials, reigniting debate about how to penalise fighters who stall in dominant positions without advancing toward a finish. Under the Pride system, referees had the authority to issue warnings and financial penalties during the bout itself, targeting fighters who deliberately avoided engagement. The UFC abandoned the system when it absorbed Pride's roster, but Poirier believes it would give modern officials a meaningful sanction short of point deductions or disqualification. The lightweight contender did not specify which weekend incident prompted his comments, and the UFC has not commented on whether it would consider reintroducing financial penalties during competition. The debate comes at a time of growing scrutiny of officiating consistency across mixed martial arts, with fighters, coaches and fans all weighing in on how timidity rules should be enforced. Poirier's proposal is unlikely to be adopted quickly, but it has added a prominent voice to a conversation that shows no sign of fading.