UFC says Dana White broke protocol by firing judge in Macau

UFC president Dana White is in hot water after relieving a judge of his officiating duties during Saturday's UFC Fight Night event in Macau, China.

The UFC announced Tuesday that White broke regulatory protocol when he fired judge Howard Hughes after he turned in two scorecards that White didn't agree with.

With the absence of athletic commissions in many of the UFC's international markets, the promotion self-regulates many of its overseas events. However, according to a statement from the UFC, White and all other executives lack the authority to remove a judge during an event.

"After an internal review, the UFC organization announced today that a breach of its independent regulatory protocol occurred on Saturday night," the statement read.

"In those instances where UFC holds events in locations without a regulatory body, the UFC's protocol dictates that the organization's internal regulators will handle all commission functions independently and without interference by company executives or employees.

"Both White and the UFC apologize to Mr. Hughes for calling his professional judgment into question. Hughes has judged more than 25 UFC fight cards and the UFC looks forward to him working on its events again in the future."

White has also since apologized for the firing:

The UFC has yet to announce whether White will face any disciplinary action for the protocol breach.