UFC referee Herb Dean is one of the most experienced and recognizable referees in the sport of MMA, but after two controversial late stoppages on the prelim card of a UFC Fight Night event on Fight Island Saturday night, UFC commentators and fighters watching the show openly criticized Dean’s inaction.
The first contested finish came in a heavyweight bout between Tanner Boser and Raphael Pessoa. Pessoa took a blow to the eye and fell back to the canvas, allowing Boser to pounce and unload while Pessoa made no effort to escape or fight back. Dean didn’t wave off the bout until Boser had connected with nine consecutive shots with Pessoa on the ground.
Later in the card, lightweight Francisco Trinaldo dropped Jai Herbert with a shot to the top of the head, which appeared to knock Herbert out before he hit the ground. Trinaldo hesitated with Herbert on the ground unprotected, but Dean did not signal that the fight was over, forcing Trinaldo to pummel a dazed Herbert until Dean finally stopped the bout. Commentator Dan Hardy screamed “stop the fight!” on the broadcast just before Dean stepped in to protect Herbert. Paul Felder said that the late stoppage pissed him off.
UFC fighters and fans took to Twitter to call out Dean on the dangerously late stoppages.
