Veteran referee Herb Dean has been involved in recent controversies. Photo: UFC/Disclosure
Herb Dean, one of the most veteran referees in MMA today, was involved in two controversies involving UFC belt fights. In early February, he was responsible for ending the fight between Renan Barao e Urijah faber, when many considered that the North American was still fit to fight. A few weeks later, Dean broke up the fight between Ronda Rousey e Sara McMann, which involved new controversy over the challenger's condition.
However, the referee was not bothered by the recent controversies. “Being criticized is part of my job. I think I was very lucky to be the favorite of MMA directors. It's kind of strange to have the feedback I have, but part of my job is to make decisions that won't always please people”, said Dean, in an interview with the podcast “The MMA Hour”, on the North American website “MMA Fighting”. .
Despite this, Dean recognized that Faber was still able to continue the fight when defending himself from Barão. “I can't always think of my decisions as right or wrong. One thing I must say is that Faber still had something to give, and that is unfortunate. I want the fighters to be able to give everything they have,” he commented.
Regarding the fight between Rousey and McMann, however, there are no regrets. “She [McMann] fell, turned her back to her opponent and put her hand where it hurt. Ronda continued throwing punches and she protected her body, in great pain. Generally, when something is fractured, the instinct is to protect where it hurts, regardless of how many blows you are taking. I realized this and saw that she was not in a position to defend herself,” she opined.
“I was sure about the decision I made. But, when you see the fighter getting up immediately after the fight, even though it was a championship fight, the fans are upset with the decision. But I can’t think of a different attitude to take”, continued the referee.