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Dana White unleashed his unbridled criticism upon Herb Dean following a contentious stoppage by the seasoned referee at UFC Vegas 42 in November 2021.
The situation unfolded during the co-main event of a heavyweight showdown between Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Ben Rothwell. Amid a barrage of punishing blows raining down on Rothwell, Dean seemed to intervene momentarily, only to step back as Rothwell attempted a takedown, resulting in an unexpected tumble as 'Pezao' countered with a choke.
Meeting the referee's gaze, de Lima seemed to convey a sense of regret, prompting Dean to confirm that he had indeed stopped the bout just 32 seconds into the first round.
Check out the entire sequence below:
During the UFC Vegas 42 post-event press conference, the UFC CEO was unequivocal when discussing Dean's controversial stoppage. White acknowledged that the fight warranted a stoppage regardless, but he cautioned Dean to improve his judgment in future decisions:
"Herb needs to stop touching guys unless the fight’s over. He goes in and grabs him by the waist and decides, oops, maybe I... The good thing about this was, the fight should have been stopped when he stopped it. You didn’t see Ben jumping up and arguing about it."
He added:
"But he’s gotta pull the trigger and stop touching guys. Don’t touch them unless you’re gonna stop the fight. And when they played it back in slow motion, he’s kinda like dancing, like he doesn’t know what to do, whether he’s gonna jump in or not jump in."
Check out Dana White's comments below (6:00):
Dean, currently one of the most seasoned referees in MMA, has found himself in the midst of numerous controversial calls in recent years. However, he has also received commendation from White on several occasions for his correct judgments.
When Dana White stood by UFC officials amid Herb Dean-Dan Hardy controversy
Dana White stepped forward to advocate for the integrity of referees and judges in the wake of the widely publicized altercation between Herb Dean and Dan Hardy.
The event took place during the lightweight bout between Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Night 174 in July 2020. Trinaldo dropped Herbert in the third round, hesitated briefly, and then proceeded with ground-and-pound as Dean refrained from intervening.
Following the initial knockdown, Hardy, along with fellow commentator Paul Felder, was heard on the broadcast yelling for the fight to be halted.
At a press conference held a week after the fight, White vehemently criticized 'The Outlaw' for engaging in a verbal confrontation with Dean and issued a stern warning of termination:
"I want to make this very clear: If you work for me, and you approach a judge or a referee or any type of official, I will fire you. You will lose your job. You will never work for me again if you do that."
Check out Dana White's comments below:
