UFC 325 may be over, but the controversy surrounding the event continues to grow. For starters, the Australia card, headlined by Volkanovski vs. Lopes, ran into multiple issues and made headlines for the wrong reasons. Once again, officiating has taken center stage, with critics questioning whether referees are doing enough to protect fighters inside the cage. In fact, former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal added to the debate by raising concerns over what he viewed as officiating mistakes during the UFC 325 co-main event between Benoit Saint-Denis and Dan Hooker.

Benoit Saint-Denis delivered one of the night’s most dominant performances, overwhelming the local favorite and stopping Hooker in the second round. However, despite Hooker being on his back on the mat and visibly compromised, Saint-Denis continued landing punches and elbows before the referee stepped in to stop the fight. That delay drew immediate criticism and, as a result, prompted Jorge Masvidal to call out the veteran official in a recent episode of Deathrow MMA.

Jorge Masvidal rips into longtime UFC referee after controversial UFC 325 stoppage

“Wow. I don’t want to take anything away from St. Denis’s performance because it’s amazing, but damn it. As I’ve said my whole career, Herb Dean is the worst referee to ever exist. I mean, f–k, bro. This is—holy smokes, bro,” Jorge Masvidal said in his latest social media clip.

The UFC veteran’s comments may have caught some of the MMA community off guard, particularly given Herb Dean’s long-standing reputation in MMA. As a former fighter, Dean made the transition into refereeing more than two decades ago and, over time, became one of the most recognizable officials in mixed martial arts.

Nevertheless, ‘Gamebred’ showed no signs of backing down. “Worst referee I’ve seen,” he added. At the same time, Jorge Masvidal later clarified that he holds no personal ill will toward the veteran official, emphasizing that his criticism focused solely on the handling of the stoppage rather than any personal grievance.

Over the course of his career, Herb Dean has officiated more than 1,000 bouts and overseen several of the UFC’s most high-profile moments, including the iconic UFC 229 showdown between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, controversy has followed him most notably after a blunder at UFC Vegas 19 in 2021.

Back then, the controversy unfolded during the main event between Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes. Lewis ended the fight with a razor-sharp uppercut that knocked Blaydes unconscious.

Despite the emphatic knockout, ‘The Black Beast’ still landed a few follow-up shots on Blaydes before the referee finally intervened. As Lewis walked away, he shouted, “It’s Herb Dean’s fault,” a moment that once again reignited long-standing criticism over delayed stoppages in the UFC. Much later, Dean addressed the incident during an interview and, in turn, offered his own perspective on the highly debated finish.

Herb Dean’s response to the delayed stoppage criticism in the Derrick Lewis bout

Over the years under the UFC banner, Derrick Lewis has built his reputation on fight-ending power, putting a long list of opponents to sleep inside the Octagon. From his perspective, he simply does his job, and in turn, referees must do theirs by stopping the action at the right moment. Consequently, that dynamic continues to drive debate across the sport. However, Herb Dean does not see himself as solely responsible.

Instead, Dean shifts accountability beyond the referee, pointing to fighters and the athletic commission, both of whom share responsibility for ensuring bouts remain safe and are officiated within the rules.

“What’s his name, I should say, that’s Herb Dean’s fault… I mean, that guy is hilarious, first of all. But, you know, if you’re gonna get a result that you don’t want, I can’t control anyone else but myself. I have to try to look at it for a way, try to say, hey, how is this Herb Dean’s fault? You know, and they go, okay, maybe I should have done this differently, or maybe I should have done that differently.” Herb Dean told Helen Yee.

And it’s not just late stoppages. Herb Dean made the wrong call when Ben Askren fought Robbie Lawler. Dean thought Lawler was out during a submission attempt and stopped the bout, only for ‘Ruthless’ to immediately spring up and complain. But Lawler, class act that he is, apologized and smoothed it out on the spot in the cage.

With the chaos and intensity of a live fight influencing every moment, the question remains where responsibility truly belongs. Do you side with the referee, or should fighters be fully accountable for their own actions? Drop your thoughts below.