UFC on ESPN 48’s main event of Sean Strickland vs Abusupiyan Magomedov had gotten fans to tune into proceedings at the UFC Apex. They got to witness a quick finish at welterweight that ended the preliminary card on a high note. This bout marked Kevin Lee’s comeback to the octagon against the Russian warrior Rinat Fakhretdinov.

Official Decision: Rinat Fakhretdinov defeated Kevin Lee via technical submission (guillotine choke)

The American fighter returned to the UFC after a one-year hiatus, but could not depart the octagon on a high. The writing seemed on the wall before the bout as his opponent was seeking to extend his winning run to 20.

Rinat Fakhretdinov secures a stunning win over Kevin Lee

Lee, who won his last fight against Diego Sanchez in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC, could not make it two in a row for the first time since he submitted Michael Chiesa in 2017. After exchanging a couple of blows without an initial touch of gloves, Fakhretdinov got the former interim title challenger into a guillotine. 

The bout concluded within a minute as the ‘Mo-Town Phenom’ swiftly drifted to the shadow realm. Fakhretdinov’s 17th finish greatly impressed the fans, but Herb Dean’s actions didn’t win many admirers.

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Herb Dean called a stop to the bout at 55 seconds, which had some combat enthusiasts believing he was too slow. This isn’t the first time the referee has earned the wrath of fans for what they believe was a late stoppage. He previously received backlash for the Cub Swanson vs Jonathan Martinez bout at UFC Apex itself.

On Saturday, UFC fans on Twitter believed Dean’s decision to wait a bit endangered Kevin Lee’s life. Although the referee moved in to check if Lee was actually out, some fans are now questioning his skills.

Read More: “Herb Dean Is Just Awful” – Fans React as Grave Mistake During Shavkat Rakhmonov Fight Averted by Joe Rogan & Megan Olivi’s Help at UFC 285

Herb Dean is in the thick of things again

Fans were truly upset with Dean after the fight. Unfortunately, for the referee, this is just the latest addition to a long list of controversial decisions. In the past, his decision-making has been called into question by none other than Dana White himself. On that occasion, Dean had touched Ben Rothwell, but decided to let the fight continue. This shows how MMA refereeing is a double-edged sword with slow and fast stoppages, potentially not being taken well.

Going by the reactions of some fans to this stoppage, things are not about to change and Herb Dean will continue to be Herb Dean.

Some of the fans expressed their displeasure by asking the authorities to fire Dean.

Another fan further bashed the referee because he believed that Lee might come to harm if he didn’t stop the fight in time.

Many fans took to social media and took swipes at the referee. 

Aljamain Sterling shared his amazement at the fight on Twitter and congratulated the ‘Gladiator’.

https://twitter.com/DanielG71532287/status/1675273514914381825?s=20

One of the fans took a swipe at Kevin Lee and claimed that he only fits well with Bellator MMA.

Surprisingly, one of the fans also compared Fakhretdinov with Nurmagomedov. Undeniably, their undefeated run seemed similar to the fans. 

Nevertheless, the fans claimed that they did not expect the Russian to secure a win as he did.

What are your thoughts about the fight and the timing of the stoppage? Let us know in the comments down below.

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