Herb Dean has been a major topic of discussion across social media over the past month, primarily stemming from a fight he officiated between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Actually, let me take that back. Herb Dean has been discussed on social media for years because of his refereeing. However, the spotlight has never been brighter than it has been over the past month.
Herb Dean: The Gold Standard?
For years, Herb Dean has been regarded as the gold standard of MMA officiating. He received widespread praise in the first UFC title fight he ever refereed, between Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir in 2004. Mir snapped Sylvia’s arm, but “The Maine-iac” refused to tap to the submission. Sylvia was furious that Dean stepped in to stop the fight, but replay clearly showed his arm had broken, and Dean was praised for protecting the fighter.
Being an MMA referee—or a referee in any sport, for that matter—is a truly thankless job. Officials are criticized relentlessly for their mistakes, while few people notice when they perform well. However, being an MMA referee arguably carries even greater stakes because of the health and safety concerns involved, in addition to the fact that fighters typically only receive half of their purse with a loss. Simply put, careers and lives are at stake every time the cage door closes, and no fighter wants a referee determining their future.
In Criticism of Herb Dean:
One of Dean’s most infamous mistakes came during Ben Askren’s UFC debut in 2019. After nearly being finished by Robbie Lawler in the opening minute, Askren battled back and “defeated” Lawler two minutes later with a bulldog choke. Believing Lawler had gone unconscious, Dean stepped in to stop the fight, only for Lawler to immediately stand up and protest the decision.
The mistakes have gone both ways. In 2021, during a fight between Marcos Rogério de Lima and Ben Rothwell, Dean stepped in for what appeared to be an early stoppage before attempting to let the fight continue after an injured Rothwell completed a takedown. Dean ultimately had to acknowledge that he had already waved off the contest.
On the other end of the spectrum, Dean received heavy criticism in 2020 for a late stoppage in a fight between Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert. Herbert was knocked down by Trinaldo in the third round and, while he may not have been completely unconscious, he was clearly unable to intelligently defend himself. Dean allowed Trinaldo to land two unnecessary follow-up strikes before stepping in. The sequence also produced the infamous “Stop the fight!” moment, as commentator Dan Hardy repeatedly shouted at Dean from cageside.
That brings us to this summer, when Dean was assigned to officiate the interim heavyweight championship bout between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. After stunning Pereira with a powerful jab, Gane swarmed in for the finish, landing numerous elbows to the back of Pereira’s head in the process. Pereira initially survived the barrage but was eventually stopped against the cage roughly 20 seconds later.
Following the fight, Pereira embarked on a social media campaign criticizing Dean, claiming, “I will never allow Herb Dean to referee one of my fights again.”
Dean received even more criticism two weeks later for his performance in the fight between Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira. Magomedov committed at least three fouls during the contest, yet Dean never deducted a point, and Magomedov ultimately escaped with a narrow 29-28 decision victory.
Alex Pereira later came to Michel Pereira’s defense, further pushing the narrative that Dean was, in his words, “the worst referee in the sport.” Fueling Pereira’s argument even more, Michel Pereira was released by the UFC following the loss, adding another layer of controversy to Dean’s recent performances.
CSAC Commissioner Andy Foster Weighs In:
Despite the criticism surrounding his recent officiating, California State Athletic Commission executive officer Andy Foster has publicly defended Herb Dean during an interview with MMA Junkie. When asked about Dean, Foster said:
“I think Herb Dean is a good referee… Herb Dean has my full confidence.”
Referring specifically to the Pereira-Gane fight, Foster added:
“That looked to me like a normal fight. I think what started that series was the punch that sent Pereira to the ground. He [Gane] is trying to finish him, he [Pereira] is trying to get back in the fight; there’s no doubt a few of them got through. The question is what do you do in that situation. Do you stop the action? Because I don’t think many referees would have, especially at the high level. And tell me that’s something you haven’t seen before.”
Two things can be true at the same time. Gane unquestionably landed illegal strikes to the back of Pereira’s head. It’s also true that Pereira shelled up during the finishing sequence, exposing the back of his head and making those illegal strikes more difficult to avoid. Referees are generally taught not to interrupt a finishing sequence to issue a warning or deduct a point unless they are prepared to stop the fight altogether.
Despite the criticism and boos he has received in recent weeks, Herb Dean will continue to officiate and will almost certainly remain assigned to high-profile main events and championship fights. While he may no longer be viewed as the unquestioned gold standard of MMA refereeing, Dean is still, by most accounts, one of the best officials in the sport. And with all the scrutiny he has faced lately, he can at least take comfort in knowing that one of the sport’s most respected athletic commissions still has full confidence in him.
