Was UFC’s ‘controversial’ referee Herb Dean an MMA fighter?


Was UFC’s ‘controversial’ referee Herb Dean an MMA fighter?

Herb Dean (Image Courtesy - Pinterest and USA Today)

Herb Dean has been considered one of the worst referees lately by fans. After his questionable decision during a few matches, he has found himself on the receiving end of fans’ and pundits’ criticism. Recently the MMA community has discovered a different aspect of his career.

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Video clips from Dean’s days as a fighter has gone viral on the internet. Herb Dean’s professional fighting career lasted for over 6 years from 2001-2007. He made his debut as a heavyweight at Gladiators Challenge 6 against Randy Halmot on September 9, 2001, and kickstarted his professional career on a winning note.  His last fight came against Dave Legeno at Cage Rage 22 in 2007. Throughout his six years career, he competed in 5 fights winning 2 and losing 3.

Herb Dean might have been named among the worst referees in recent years but it was not always the case. He has been called the gold standard for refereeing by outlets like ESPN, Bleacher reports, and Fox sports. Even UFC president Dana White and Joe Rogan have spoken highly on many occasions previously.

Related: When the legendary Demetrious Johnson asked referee Herb Dean to “get out of the way” during fight at UFC 191

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Where did it go wrong for Dean Herb?

Herb Dean
Herb Dean (Image Courtesy – Sportscasting)

It all started at UFC 169. Dean sparked controversy after he stopped the main event bout between Renan Baro and Urijah Faber for the UFC bantamweight championship. Even Dana White openly criticized him for his decision.

His next controversial decision came at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik. Dean received harsh criticism for calling off a fight between Khalid Murtazaliev and C. B. Dollaway too soon.  Again at UFC 235 when Ben Askren defeated Robbie Lawler using a bulldog choke, Dean was slammed by UFC president Dana White for the decision. This was followed by his bad refereeing again at  UFC on ESPN, where he even got into an altercation with a commenter Dan Hardy.

The 52-year-old veteran referee has been with the UFC since the early 2000s presiding over many famous matches. It’s sad how time has changed for Dean, once deemed as the best referee in the UFC has found himself on the receiving end of criticism. The whole MMA community seems to have forgotten when Dean was praised for his stoppage during matches preventing my fighter from getting severely injured.

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