I may be wrong, but I think it's the other way around. The commission sets the rules and hires the referees to enforce them. Dana White has be openly critical of certain referees and made it clear he'd fire them if he could. The UFC must follow the rules of the commission. I believe that's why some past fights could only occur in certain jurisdictions, and with modified rules. The unified rules of MMA are set by commission voters, not the UFC [1].
I may be wrong, but I think it's the other way around. The commission sets the rules and hires the referees to enforce them. Dana White has be openly critical of certain referees and made it clear he'd fire them if he could. The UFC must follow the rules of the commission. I believe that's why some past fights could only occur in certain jurisdictions, and with modified rules. The unified rules of MMA are set by commission voters, not the UFC [1].
[1] https://www.ufc.com/unified-rules-mixed-martial-arts?languag...