UFC Vegas 118 was a rough night for more than just Belal Muhammad. While Gabriel Bonfim handed the former welterweight champion a lopsided defeat, referee Herb Dean also found himself caught in the storm. In the aftermath, fans are calling for one man to retire, while the other is facing intense backlash for his role in the bout.

Despite coming off a two-fight losing streak, ‘Remember the Name’ was a slight favorite over Bonfim, who was on a four-fight win streak. As has been the case in his recent fight, Muhammad avoided wrestling, and by the time he shot for a takedown in the third round, his opponent was already ahead on the scorecards and even managed to stuff the attempt. 

In the fourth round, it became evident that Belal Muhammad had abandoned his wrestling game as he engaged in a blow-for-blow affair. It didn’t turn out well for the Palestinian, however. By the end of the fight, Muhammad had lost all the rounds and stood in the cage a bloody mess, as the scorecard showed 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 all in the Brazilian’s favor. 

However, one moment from the fight stood out especially. In the middle of the third round of the fight, ‘Marretinha’ turned Belal’s legs to jelly with a beautiful left cross combination. The shot not only rocked the former welterweight champion, but also knocked the mouth guard right out of his mouth. Dean stopped the action and allowed Belal to put it back in.

At first glance, Dean did the right thing and followed the rules set by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. However, the rule itself, in this case, can be interpreted in a couple of ways. The rule says if the mouthpiece is involuntarily dislodged, the referee will call time and have the mouthpiece replaced at the first opportune moment, without interfering with the immediate action.

It’s the last part that may cause some concern in interpretation. While Bonfim stepped back for a moment after landing the combination, the action didn’t necessarily stop. He could have followed that up with more punches after realizing Belal was hurt. But from Dean’s perspective, he may have thought the split second gave him the first opportune moment to let Muhammad get his mouth peace back. 

Regardless, fans ruthlessly criticized him while Belal Muhammad was asked to retire. 

Fans are in disbelief over Herb Dean’s action during the Belal Muhammad fight

One user couldn’t fathom why Dean would stop the fight when Bonfim may have knocked Belal out. “That’s wild that Herb stopped it to allow him to put his mouthpiece back in,” the user posted. Previously, UFC star Aljamain Sterling wanted Dean to be demoted because of the latter’s officiating during the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card. 

Meanwhile, this user felt Dean’s actions helped Belal Muhammad. “Herb needs to go, gave Belal a standing 8 count, basically,” the user commented. In the end, though, even that didn’t help turn the tides of the fight. 

The next user wasn’t happy either. “Wtf herb did here, man!!!!??” the user asked. He did what the rules allowed him to do. But whether it was the right decision is up for debate. 

Someone else wanted Belal Muhammad to retire. “He’s old, he’s already a champion, he’s done it all, time to retire,” the fan explained. And at the age of 37, he doesn’t appear to have many fights left in him. 

Another was a lot more blunt with their opinion. “He fell off🤞 Bonfim was just having fun with him💪,” the user wrote. The latest loss makes it a three-fight losing skid for Muhammad. 

One fan felt Belal Muhammad would become irrelevant in the UFC now. “He’s gonna get pushed down to like 8th smh,” the user commented. Well, it hasn’t yet, but soon. Interestingly, the UFC has also announced a new ranking system, which could see Muhammad much lower based on his last few fights. 

Backlash is not new for Herb Dean. He may even have learned to ignore them. But do you think he was in the wrong?