Herb Dean has long been recognized as the gold standard of refereeing in the UFC. He’s been around since the late 90s, officiating countless MMA fights and managing tricky situations with composure. One of his most iconic moments came when he spotted Tim Sylvia’s broken arm after Frank Mir’s armbar—still remembered as one of the best calls in UFC history. But even a veteran like Dean isn’t immune to backlash when things go south, and unfortunately, that’s what happened at UFC Shanghai.

After Brian Ortega’s dramatic weight-cut scare nearly canceled the fight—and even prompted rumors of an ambulance video—he cleared weight at 153 lbs and the bout proceeded as a catchweight co-main event versus former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. In the end, the Funkmaster cruised to a clear-cut unanimous decision (50-45 on all cards) in what was largely a one-sided affair

 Herb Dean criticized for a bad calls in Aljamain Sterling vs Brian Ortega fight   

“Fire Herb Dean.” That’s what fans have been shouting online after the UFC Shanghai co-main event wrapped up. Why? On the surface, the fight between Aljamain Sterling and Brian Ortega seemed to be running smoothly, but some mid-action drama quickly became the talk of the town. At one point, ‘T-City’ claimed Sterling had poked him in the eye. Yet, when the replay rolled, it told a different story! Sterling’s fist had only grazed Ortega’s eye, causing nothing more than brief discomfort.

In most cases, the fight would’ve just carried on. But Herb Dean chose to step in, stopping the action and giving Ortega plenty of time to recover—even though he was already getting picked apart by Sterling. That decision alone had fans questioning the call, and things only went downhill from there. In the final round, Dean once again paused the fight, this time to hand the former bantamweight champ a warning for inactivity.

Aljamain Sterling still walked away with a clear-cut win, but the constant interruptions raised eyebrows. Fans felt Herb Dean had not only stopped the fight too often, but also given Ortega extra lifelines in a fight he was clearly losing. And just like that, the veteran ref found himself back in the crosshairs of UFC fans. Of course, this isn’t the first time Dean has been under fire—and in the past, it’s been much worse.

A look back at veteran ref’s history of controversial officiating  

There have been plenty of moments in Herb Dean’s career where his officiating has come under fire from both fans and pundits. But two occasions stand out where things went really wrong. One was the infamous clash between Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Night 174. The fight was a back-and-forth battle until the Brazilian cracked Herbert with a massive overhand that sent him crashing down.

Dean, who was the referee that night, let an already out-cold Herbert absorb a few unnecessary shots before stepping in. It instantly became one of the most criticized stoppages of his career. The moment even sparked a viral exchange when Dan Hardy, calling the fight from the commentary booth, yelled out, “Stop the fight!” The veteran ref didn’t take kindly to that and later fired back at Hardy in the aftermath. But, after that incident had cooled down, a much worse took place after a year!    

Robbie Lawler faced off against Ben Askren at UFC 235 in a welterweight showdown. The fight immediately caught fire as both men showcased their skills. ‘Ruthless’ tagged Askren with some heavy shots on the feet, while ‘Funky’ answered back with his elite wrestling. In the first round, Askren locked in a bulldog choke that left Lawler’s arm looking limp! And Herb Dean quickly stepped in to call the fight.

The problem? Lawler hadn’t tapped, nor was he fully out. The former welterweight champ was furious with the stoppage, and Dean immediately apologized, admitting he thought Lawler was done. In a classy move, Lawler eventually calmed down, telling him, “You’re a hell of a ref.”

So, moments like these stand as some of the most controversial calls in Herb Dean’s long journey as a referee. But now, out of all these incidents, which do you think was the most controversial? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.