Dana White has finally addressed the growing controversy involving veteran UFC referee Herb Dean after former champion Alex Pereira publicly criticized the official. Pereira questioned Dean’s decisions during his fight against Ciryl Gane and later renewed his criticism following another controversial refereeing performance at a recent MMA event.The debate has gained attention across the MMA community. Several fighters and fans have questioned Dean’s recent officiating. While Pereira has demanded stronger action, White chose not to criticize the referee directly and instead pointed to the athletic commissions as the bodies responsible for such decisions.
Dana White avoids taking sides in Herb Dean controversy
Dana White was asked about the criticism surrounding Herb Dean after the latest Zuffa Boxing event. The UFC president made it clear that he was not the person responsible for judging referees. He explained that decisions about officials are handled by athletic commissions, not by the UFC itself.When asked if Dean’s performances have declined, White avoided making a direct assessment. He said he was not in a position to judge the referee’s work and stressed that those decisions belong to the commissions that appoint officials for each event.White was also questioned about an online petition that calls for Herb Dean to be removed from officiating MMA fights. The UFC boss confirmed that he had heard about the campaign. However, he joked that mixed martial arts content rarely appears in his social media feeds, avoiding any further discussion about the petition.The controversy started after Alex Pereira lost his interim heavyweight title fight to Ciryl Gane at the White House event. Pereira argued that he absorbed several illegal strikes to the back of the head during the contest. He believed Herb Dean should have stepped in and taken action. After the fight, the Brazilian openly criticized the referee on social media.The criticism became even stronger after the fight between Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira in Baku. During that contest, Magomedov was warned multiple times for pulling his opponent’s hair and for an eye poke. Despite the repeated fouls, Dean chose not to deduct a point. Magomedov eventually won the fight, leading to fresh criticism from fighters and fans.Alex Pereira reacted immediately after the event. He described Dean’s handling of the fight as unacceptable and argued that stronger action should be taken against the referee. Pereira even shared a petition calling for Dean to be banned from officiating future MMA events.Current UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also appeared to support the growing frustration. He shared a viral clip from the fight on social media that showed Dean issuing several warnings without imposing any penalties. Aspinall suggested that the sport’s rules now seem to be treated more like optional guidelines than strict regulations.The criticism of Herb Dean continues to grow. For now, Dana White has chosen to remain neutral.
