Several times in the past, fans, and fighters have disagreed with a referee’s decision in the octagon. A referee’s role is to enforce the sport’s rules, address illegal moves as well as make sure that fighters are safe. But, the job is not as simple. Referees have been criticized for early and late stoppages and sometimes, for slacking off. Famous MMA referee Herb Dean has also been criticized in the past.

However, Dean has bagged the referee of the year award. Surely, a great moment for him. Dean accepted the award and said, “This has been the best year for MMA officiating. We got a lot of reps.”

While Dean is elated by the appreciation he has received, many MMA fans are not happy with him receiving the award. This is mainly because of some past controversial decisions on the referee’s part. Just weeks ago, Dean was criticized for changing his mind during a very important time in a fight.

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When De Lima was on top of Rothwell, Dean grabbed De Lima, signaling that the fight was done. However, he changed his mind, and this resulted in a lot of confusion during the fight. Dana White also criticized the referee for it.

Many felt that Jason Herzog was more deserving to win that award. However, Herb Dean is an experienced referee and has made some great quick decisions more often than not.

Some of Herb Dean’s best decisions

Throughout his career as an MMA referee, Dean has made some right decisions that potentially saved fighter’s lives. At UFC 48, he stopped the Frank Mir-Tim Sylvia fight after quickly noticing that the latter’s arm was broken. This saved the fighter from enduring more harm.

Another fight where Dean showed excellent decision-making was during the Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mirko Cro Cop bout. He quickly stopped the fight when Cro Cop was knocked out by a kick. There are several more such fights where the referee’s decisions were initially criticized, but later on, lauded. However, these fights were years ago.

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Just like the good calls, the bad ones are remembered as well. Dean, as a veteran, has had his share of experiences on both sides.