The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has publicly affirmed its confidence in veteran referee Herb Dean, despite recent criticism regarding his officiating in high-profile UFC bouts. Andy Foster, the Executive Director of the CSAC, stated that Dean continues to have his full support.
Dean, once recognized as a top official, has faced scrutiny for several calls in recent MMA fights. This includes a bout between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane, where Pereira reportedly absorbed blows to the back of the head. Pereira subsequently voiced his dissatisfaction and initiated a petition for Dean’s removal from future UFC events.
Commission’s Stance on Dean’s Officiating
Foster addressed the complaints, stating that he does not believe the criticism directed at Dean, or other referees like Marc Goddard, is entirely fair. He emphasized that being a referee is a challenging role. Foster confirmed that Dean would continue to officiate main events in California, citing Dean’s status as the senior referee in the state. He specifically mentioned that Dean would be part of UFC 331, scheduled for September 19 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
Regarding the Pereira-Gane fight, Foster, who observed the match in real-time, described it as a normal fight. He acknowledged that some punches landed to the back of Pereira’s head but questioned whether stopping the action in such a situation would be appropriate, suggesting that few high-level referees would intervene. Foster attributed the controversial sequence to a knockdown that occurred earlier in the fight.
Foster also revealed that he offered Dean some advice following the controversy. He noted that a primary criticism of Dean has been his tendency to issue warnings rather than penalize fighters for fouls within the Octagon. Foster advised Dean that at certain points, taking a point becomes necessary rather than repeatedly issuing warnings.
Nevada Commission’s Approach and Dean’s Reflection
While the California commission maintains its support, the Nevada State Athletic Commission reportedly took a different approach. According to fellow veteran official John McCarthy, the Nevada commission opted not to assign Dean to one of the top two fights at UFC 329. McCarthy indicated that Mike Beltran was brought in for the main event, a fight between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, despite not being originally scheduled. This decision was reportedly made to protect Dean amid the recent wave of criticism.
Dean was instead assigned to officiate other bouts at UFC 329, including Cody Garbrandt versus Adrian Yanez and Cory Sandhagen against Mario Bautista. Despite his history of overseeing high-profile contests, Dean was notably absent from both the main and co-main events of UFC 329.
McCarthy also mentioned that Dean has been reflecting on his performance and considering potential adjustments to his officiating style. He suggested that Dean is evaluating whether he has been too lenient and if he needs to take a more active role in affecting the outcome of fights. This period of self-assessment is seen as part of his ongoing development as an official.
The main event for UFC 331, where Dean is expected to officiate, is anticipated to be a title fight in September.
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Source: mmamania.com
