There’s plenty of things that could derail the UFC 155 main event before it even happens. But if both Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez make it to the Octagon unscathed, they’ll have an extremely reliable referee calling the shots.
Herb Dean, considered by acclamation alone to be the most capable referee in MMA, has officially been assigned in-cage duties for JDS vs. Velasquez, according to a report from MMA Junkie:
Veteran referee Herb Dean has been assigned to officiate the UFC heavyweight title fight between champion Junior Dos Santos (15-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and former champ and top contender Cain Velasquez (10-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC). Glenn Trowbridge, Tony Weeks and Marcos Rosales have been tapped as the three judges for the bout.
MMA Junkie also notes that fellow referees Steve Mazzagatti and Yves Lavigne were also considered for the main event, but the duty ultimately fell to Dean.
This should come as a relief to many hardcore MMA fans, as Mazzagatti has a reputation for making bad calls in the midst of a fight.
By contrast, Dean is highly regarded for his consistency and authoritative stance, which has so far earned him “Best Referee” honors at the 2011 World MMA Awards and high praise from UFC president Dana White.
Dean’s last work for the UFC was seen during the main event of the TUF 16 Finale, where Roy Nelson won a knockout victory against Matt Mitrione.
During the bout, Mitrione lost his mouthpiece during a heated exchange, prompting Dean to almost interrupt the fight. However, Dean visibly chose to wait for a moment where his presence wouldn’t negatively alter the immediate course of the round—a point rendered moot as Nelson stopped Mitrione via TKO seconds later.
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