Alex Poatan reinforces campaign against referee Herb Dean and demands he be replaced by the UFC: 'He needs to be replaced'

Poatan shaken after being knocked out by Gane at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

It seems that Alex Poatan will not leave Herb Dean alone until he is punished. At UFC Casa Branca , a historic event held in June in Washington (USA), the Brazilian debuted in the heavyweight division (up to 120,2 kg), was no match for Ciryl Gane and ended up being brutally knocked out in the second round. However, the athlete did not approve of the result, blamed the referee for the defeat and, since then, has been leading a hunt against him.

In an interview with 'UFC on Paramount+', Poatan, dissatisfied with Herb's series of possible mistakes, reinforced his campaign against the referee and demanded that the organization punish him. Not satisfied, the Brazilian wants the company to replace the professional. Furthermore, this was not the first time the athlete has called for the veteran's dismissal.

And, due to his insistence, the former tire repairman has been criticized by many. In any case, to the Paulista's misfortune, his wish will hardly be granted, as Dana White himself downplayed the controversy, praised Herb, and pointed out that this is not a problem for the UFC to solve, but rather for the Athletic Commission.

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"Well, the only thought that comes to mind when I see the mistakes is in the UFC . What happens when an athlete is no longer performing? They fire them. And what happens then? People have to understand that referees are human beings too and they make mistakes, but, depending on their age, they are at their peak," said the fighter.

"Look, those guys who are there, they used to be the best , you know? And there are people who go there, their performance drops, and they have to be replaced . Until that happens, nothing will change. I don't see any other way," he concluded.

Poatan and Michel against Herb Dean

Reviewing his fight against Gane at UFC Casa Branca , Poatan asserted that he was fine and explained that he was only knocked out in the second round because he received a 'lucky punch' and a series of illegal strikes to the back of the head. Feeling wronged, the Brazilian disapproved of 'Bon Gamin's' conduct, harshly criticized Herb, and called for him to be fired.

Michel Pereira also blamed the referee for the defeat and criticized him for not punishing Shara Magomedov for his repeated infractions. In the first round, the Russian was warned more than once by Herb for grabbing the Flying Paraense's hair. During the break, the referee spoke with the athlete and explained the rules. After the warnings, the bad boy unintentionally poked his opponent in the eye in the third round and only received another warning.

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