New Mexico Commission Suspends Jason High for One Year for Shoving Referee

Not only did Jason High lose his job recently for shoving the referee after losing his fight with Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 42 on June 7, he’s also temporarily lost his ability to earn a paycheck from fighting.

New Mexico State Athletic Commission chairman Tom King told Sherdog.com Wednesday night that the commission suspended High for one year from the date of the fight and fined him 10 percent of his fight purse.

High’s suspension runs through June 7, 2015, and his fine is $1,900.

Referee Kevin Mulhall called a halt to the dos Anjos vs. High fight due to what he perceived as High not intelligently defending dos Anjos’ strikes late in the second round. High immediately popped up, furious, and shoved Mulhall in the heat of the moment.

He later took to Twitter to apologize.

“Incredibly sorry & embarrassed for the ref incident. Will never happen again,” High wrote.

UFC president Dana White didn’t witness the incident, but after reviewing it, he fired High.

“What I did find out is that I guess that Jason High kid got up and pushed a referee; he’s cut,” said White.

Now, with the New Mexico commission levying a year-long suspension, High not only has to change employers, he has to find another way to earn a living, at least for the next year.