"Herb Dean has no soul" - Fans outraged as UFC referee commits "horrible" errors during Bogdan Guskov vs. Ryan Spann

UFC referee Herb Dean's controversial officiating in the Bogdan Guskov vs. Ryan Spann fight has sparked fan outrage on social media.

The middleweight bout which co-headlined UFC Vegas 91 saw a spectacular comeback by Guskov who dominated Spann in the second round, securing a victory with a flurry of punches. However, the fight was marred by what many are calling "horrible" refereeing by Dean.

Dean's biggest blunder came when Guskov landed a barrage of unanswered punches on a defenseless Spann. Despite Spann being knocked out, Dean hesitated to stop the fight, potentially putting the fighter at risk.

This wasn't the only instance of questionable officiating. Earlier in the fight, Spann landed a low blow on Guskov. After a brief pause, Dean inexplicably awarded Spann the dominant position despite the foul. Spann went on to land another low blow, further raising concerns about Dean's performance.

The MMA community has been vocal in their outrage over Dean's refereeing. Social media platforms were flooded with criticism, with fans calling Dean's decisions "off the mark" and accusing him of endangering fighters.

"Oh my god Herb Dean that was a horrible stoppage"

"Evil Anthony Smith got pi*sed when he threw that uppercut and Herb Dean almost let Ryan Spann get punched into a early grave"

Another fan wrote:

"Herb Dean's decision making is off the mark on so many occasions these days. Why would you give the position back to Ryan Spann after stopping the fight for a low-blow. 🤯 Even the commentary had no clue."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

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When Herb Dean's stoppage at UFC Vegas 42 garnered attention from the UFC CEO

This weekend's fight was not the only controversial error from Herb Dean. The veteran referee was previously questioned by UFC CEO Dana White after a confusing stoppage at UFC Vegas 42 in Nov. 2021.

The incident occurred during the heavyweight co-main event between Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Ben Rothwell. When De Lima unleashed punches on a wobbly Rothwell, Dean intervened momentarily, then stepped back as Rothwell attempted a takedown.

This hesitation led to De Lima securing a chokehold and prompting Dean to finally stop the fight just 32 seconds into the first round.

While acknowledging the fight likely needed to be stopped, White voiced his displeasure with Dean's indecisiveness at the post-fight press conference. He emphasized the importance of referees committing to a stoppage once initiated:

"Herb needs to stop touching guys unless the fight's over... Don't touch them unless you're gonna stop the fight."

Check out Dana White's comments below (06:00):

This isn't the first time Dean's officiating has sparked debate. The highly respected referee has a history of both praised and criticized decisions.