Tag: Herb Dean

Masvidal: Anyone Who Watches Fighting Has Seen Herb Dean’s Hiccups

Jorge Masvidal is not happy with the official of his UFC 272 main event, Herb Dean. At UFC 272, Jorge Masvidal took on Colby Covington in a heavily anticipated grudge match. Early in the fight, Covington poked Masvidal in the eye, to which “Gamebred” immediately protested to referee Herb Dean. However, Dean allowed the fight…

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Jorge Masvidal is not happy with the official of his UFC 272 main event, Herb Dean.

At UFC 272, Jorge Masvidal took on Colby Covington in a heavily anticipated grudge match. Early in the fight, Covington poked Masvidal in the eye, to which “Gamebred” immediately protested to referee Herb Dean. However, Dean allowed the fight to continue, with Covington able to close the distance while Masvidal complained to the referee and then eventually took Masvidal down and controlled the round.

Masvidal believes that even though this sequence took place very early in the fight, it still had an impact on the outcome because it led to Covington taking him down and draining some of his gas tank. He also said the foul had a lasting impact on his eye, with a pain that lingered even after the bout concluded.

During the UFC 272 post-fight press conference, a peeved Jorge Masvidal blasted Dean for his officiating not only in that moment but as a referee overall.

“The eye poke was pretty bad, man. The only thing that’s hurting on me right now is the fuckin’ eye poke,” Masvidal said. “My eye’s still throbbing right now. I’ve had a couple mishaps with Herb Dean. I just don’t get it why he didn’t fix the action. [Covington] threw a punch, missed, and then he immediately just jabbed me in the fuckin’ eyeball. I’m not gonna take nothin’ away (from) him winning the fight because that was just one sequence; it would’ve been cool if he would’ve stopped it there and I would’ve got my fuckin’ breather and then we restart because he poked the shit out of my eye, and it’s still throbbin’ right now. That’s the only thing that’s hurting on me.

“Me and Herb Dean don’t have a clean record as it is. We’ve had a couple mishaps in the past, and shit, man, he’s not my cup of tea when it comes to referring.”

Herb Dean is one of the most experienced referees in the sport of MMA, but he has not been without controversy.

Perhaps the most memorable criticism he’s received came from ex-UFC fighter Dan Hardy, who compiled an entire presentation of Herb Dean’s history of “late stoppages” in his argument explaining why he confronted Dean while serving as a commentator during a UFC broadcast after such a stoppage. And as recently as last November, Hardy made it clear that his view of Dean has not changed.

Dan Hardy Herb Dean
Dan Hardy & Herb Dean (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)

Masvidal is on the same page as Hardy when it comes to Herb Dean. In fact, he believes that anyone who is a fan of the sport can testify that Dean is mistake-prone.

When asked if he was surprised that Dean didn’t deduct a point from Covington when he fouled Masvidal with a groin strike that came after the eye poke, Masvidal doubled down on his low opinion of Dean far beyond this one officiating performance.

“No, I wasn’t surprised at all,” Masvidal responded. “I was just surprised that after the eye poke in the first round that he didn’t just break it up and address it. Like, that position wouldn’t have happened had he not poked me in the eye. So it’s whatever. It’s Herb Dean stuff. Everybody here could—if you’ve seen fighting, you’ve seen Herb Dean have numerous hiccups. I’m not gonna blame the fight on him, but he’s not my cup of tea when it comes to referring.”

Do you agree with Jorge Masvidal’s harsh assessment of Herb Dean as a referee?

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Dana White Criticizes Referee Herb Dean Following UFC Vegas 42 Blunder

Dana WhiteUFC president Dana White was not pleased with referee Herb Dean last night. During the co-main event of UFC Vegas 42, Marcos Rogerio de Lima blitzed Ben Rothwell in their heavyweight contest for a quick 32-second knockout victory. However, that was after Dean hesitated to call off the fight before ultimately doing so when Rothwell […]

Dana White

UFC president Dana White was not pleased with referee Herb Dean last night.

During the co-main event of UFC Vegas 42, Marcos Rogerio de Lima blitzed Ben Rothwell in their heavyweight contest for a quick 32-second knockout victory.

However, that was after Dean hesitated to call off the fight before ultimately doing so when Rothwell was dropped to the ground.

It was yet another blunder for Dean who has made them much more frequently in recent years. Dan Hardy — one of Dean’s staunchest critics — made sure to comment on it.

Dana White: Dean Needs To ‘Stop Touching Guys’

While White usually doesn’t comment on Dean, he had to after this event.

“He’s gotta pull the trigger and stop touching guys – don’t touch them unless you’re going to stop the fight,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “When they played it back in slow motion, he’s kind of like, dancing, like he doesn’t know what to do, whether he’s going to jump in or not jump in.

“I like him personally – he’s a nice guy. But he’s got to stop touching people until he’s ready to stop the fight.”

What do you think of Herb Dean as a referee?

Dana White Slams Herb Dean After Bungled Stoppage At UFC Vegas 42

UFC President Dana White had a few stern words for Herb Dean after yet another controversial stoppage from the veteran referee.

The incident came in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 32 between Ben Rothwell and Marcos Rogerio de Lima. De Lima rocked R…

Dana White Herb Dean

UFC President Dana White had a few stern words for Herb Dean after yet another controversial stoppage from the veteran referee.

The incident came in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 32 between Ben Rothwell and Marcos Rogerio de Lima. De Lima rocked Rothwell early, and while pummelling him relentlessly against the cage, Dean stepped in to call off proceedings. He then, however, stepped back and allowed the fight to continue, before stepping back in to call the fight off once more, just 32 seconds into round one.

While one of the UFC’s most experienced referees, Dean has recently courted much criticism for a series of botched stoppages. Former UFC welterweight Dan Hardy has been his most fierce critic, with the duo having been involved in a much-publicized on-air squabble in July last year at UFC Fight Island 3. In that incident, Hardy protested Dean’s reluctance to stop the fight between Jai Herbert and Francisco Trinaldo, with the former sustaining unnecessary damage as a result.

Dana White Lashes Herb Dean For Controversial Stoppage

At the UFC Vegas 42 post-fight press conference, Dana White didn’t mince words when asked to weigh in on Dean’s botched stoppage. While the UFC President conceded that the fight should have been stopped anyway, he warned the veteran referee to improve his decision-making, alluding to Dean’s recent track record of less than optimal refereeing.  

“Herb needs to stop touching guys unless the fight’s over,” said White. “He goes in and grabs [Ben Rothwell] by the waist, and then decides, ‘Oops.’ The good thing about this one was that fight should’ve been stopped when he stopped it. And you didn’t see Ben jumping up and arguing about it. That fight should’ve been stopped. But he’s gotta pull the trigger and stop touching guys. Don’t touch them unless you’re gonna stop the fight. And when they played it back in slow motion, he’s kinda like dancing, like he doesn’t know what to do, whether he’s gonna jump in or not jump in.”

White however tempered his critique of Dean, who made his debut as a UFC referee in 2004, by mentioning that the man once regarded as the gold standard of MMA refereeing is still, at least on a personal level, in his good books.

“Yeah, I like him personally. He’s a nice guy. But he’s gotta stop touching people until he’s ready to stop the fight,” said White.

What do you think? Is it time for Herb Dean to step down as a UFC referee, or is he still one of the best?

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Dan Hardy Rips Herb Dean: “Still Making Mistakes Consistently”

Former UFC welterweight contender Dan Hardy still believes that MMA referee Herb Dean should be held accountable for his wrongdoings.

Hardy hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2012 but remained a fixture of UFC broadcasts as an analyst, most commonly se…

Dan Hardy Herb Dean

Former UFC welterweight contender Dan Hardy still believes that MMA referee Herb Dean should be held accountable for his wrongdoings.

Hardy hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2012 but remained a fixture of UFC broadcasts as an analyst, most commonly seen during the promotion’s overseas events. Following an alleged altercation with a UFC employee along with a viral face-to-face argument with Dean at UFC Fight Island 3, Hardy and the UFC parted ways.

The cause of the Hardy/Dean beef appears to have stemmed from Dean’s reluctance to stop the fight between Jai Herbert and Francisco Trinaldo at UFC Fight Island 3, and Hardy lit into Dean on the broadcast and in person.

Hardy hasn’t let up on his criticism of Dean since leaving the UFC media world. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Hardy explained why he feels uncomfortable when watching Dean officiate fights.

“My main focus is the fighters getting protection. He’s still present at regular events and still making mistakes consistently,” Hardy said. “He still waves that fight off at the end of the round, he still doesn’t exactly know what he’s doing, it concerns me.

Dan Hardy & Herb Dean
Dan Hardy & Herb Dean (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)

“We need referees that do good jobs, and there is a small handful of them out there,” Hardy continued. “And we need to protect them, and we need to get them training the rest. Because there are a lot of guys that are slipping. And they’re not the ones taking the punishment.”

Hardy is close to returning to combat sports in an athletic role, as he’s said that a boxing match between himself and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley is close to booking. Hardy hasn’t ruled out a potential return to MMA, whether that be for ONE Championship or another promotion.

Dean has been a key component of the UFC for many years since he began officiating the promotion’s biggest fights in the early 2000s. He is also a former professional fighter, competing in brief stints with Cage Rage and KOTC.

Hardy has become one of the most prominent voices in MMA since transitioning into a commentary role, despite his strained relationship with one of the most well-known officials in the sport.

What are your thoughts on Dan Hardy’s latest comments about Herb Dean’s officiating?

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Herb Dean Describes Why He Didn’t Stop Ortega/Volkanovski Fight

Following the historic featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, referee Herb Dean clears the air on why he never stopped the contest. In the main event at UFC 266, Volkanovski fought Ortega in an instant classic that went all five rounds. In the third round, the champion escaped two seemingly air-tight submissions. […]

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Following the historic featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, referee Herb Dean clears the air on why he never stopped the contest.

In the main event at UFC 266, Volkanovski fought Ortega in an instant classic that went all five rounds. In the third round, the champion escaped two seemingly air-tight submissions. Once Volkanovski popped his head out of Ortega’s grasp, the champ began to rain ground and pound in a blatant attempt to steal back the round. At the end of the third stanza, Ortega was laid out on the canvas and appeared to have little to no willpower left to get up to his chair.

Referee Herb Dean was the third man in the cage that night and has since expressed that Ortega did not receive additional corner help. Even though Dean admits that the corner made contact with their fighter, he affirms that they did not lift him up to the stool. Instead, Ortega lifted himself up after being prompted by his corner, according to Herb Dean. Speaking with MMA reporter Helen Yee, Dean recounted his experience reffing the main event at UFC 266.

“I don’t think his cornerman helped him.” Dean told Helen Yee. “He was laying there, wasn’t getting up. I think it was more of a ‘hey, it’s time to get up, let’s get moving.’ Cause once they grabbed it was not like they had to lift him up. Once they put hands on him, he was getting up on the stool.

“At the end of the round, it was exhaustion. He had given it his all. Then the physician comes in and medically clears him, says he’s clear. Some of his answers weren’t exactly clear but then when he looked at me and gave clear answers like ‘yes, I see, yes, I want to continue’. You could see he was ready to compete again.” Herb Dean explained.

Following a minute of rest, in between rounds, Herb Dean and the ringside physician assessed Ortega’s condition. After being asked a series of questions, Ortega passed the test by the skin of his teeth. As one of the most difficult and criticized jobs in combat sports, officiating and stopping fights in live time remain paramount to fighter safety and longevity.

Do you think Herb Dean made the right call?

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Kris Moutinho To Herb Dean: “You Should’ve Let Me Go Out On My Shield”

UFC bantamweight Kris Moutinho has criticized referee Herb Dean for stopping his fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 264 “too soon.” Making his UFC debut on just a week’s notice, Moutinho entered the Octagon with one of the promotio…

UFC bantamweight Kris Moutinho has criticized referee Herb Dean for stopping his fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 264 “too soon.” Making his UFC debut on just a week’s notice, Moutinho entered the Octagon with one of the promotion’s top prospects in Sean O’Malley at last weekend’s pay-per-view. Despite the result, being able to fight […]

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