"What was the bet?" - Referee Jason Herzog hits out at fan criticism over officiating controversial Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan title fight at UFC 300

Amid the UFC 300 chaos, Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan engaged in a back-and-forth affair that many felt should not have gone past the first round. Fans ridiculed the referee responsible for officiating the co-main event, Jason Herzog, who has since responded on social media.

The two Chinese fighters would each have their moments in the opening frame, but Weili would end in a dominant position, taking Yan's back and nearly finishing a choke. As the horn sounded to end the round, Yan was visibly unconscious but quickly woke up and wobbled her way back to her corner.

After the fight, Herzog responded to the popular Barstool Sports affiliate X account Spinnin Backfist, who accused the referee of being "on cigarettes and alcohol."

The official would also quote tweet a response to a fan post who called him "f****** r*******." Herzog tweeted:

"What was the bet?"

Fans would also press Herzog for not stopping the fight in the second round as Weili would again take Yan's back and have her in trouble, nearly finishing the fight with ground-and-pound. After two dominant rounds to open, Weili would show clear signs of fatigue beginning in round three.

Though Weili would get wobbled and knocked down multiple times by Yan over five rounds, 'Magnum' would use her grappling advantage periodically to retain her belt via unanimous decision.

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Jason Herzog claims Yan Xiaonan was "not out" during UFC 300 co-main event

Despite the hefty criticism he has received from the UFC 300 co-main event bout between Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan, Jason Herzog does not believe he did anything wrong.

In one of his many responses to fan comments on X, Herzog stated his belief that Yan was "not out" at the end of round one. Herzog wrote:

"[Yan Xiaonan] gets up on her own, she walks out on her own, she's not out."

Herzog has long been widely considered one of the best MMA referees and one of the most outspoken officials on social media.