The officials in the UFC have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent times. Whether it’s the judges or the referee, both have been on the receiving end of controversy as of late. Referee Herb Dean has been someone who has been the center of all this due to his controversial stoppage last month. However, former UFC champion Miesha Tate hasn’t seen enough to hold Herb Dean on fire just yet.

During UFC’s last event on Fight Island, the MMA community took notice of the final fight on the preliminary card. Lightweights Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert were going at each other. During the third and final round, Trinaldo sent his opponent to the ground with a counter left.

For most people watching the fight, it seemed like Herbert was out. Even Trinaldo hesitated from punching a downed opponent. However, Herb Dean decided not to stop the fight. Consequently, “The Black Country Banger” had to eat four more shots which could have proved a lot more fatal.

The commentators blasted Herb Dean for the stoppage. Dan Hardy even had a verbal exchange with the veteran ref after the fight. Despite all this, Miesha Tate thinks a bit differently than most others in this regard.

Miesha Tate believes Herb Dean should have been a bit closer to the action

The reason why the viewers have a different take on stoppages, if they do, is because they have the privilege of watching the fight from the perfect angle. The referee instead has to shift his position constantly to be on top of the action.

“So I watched that a lot of times and as far as many angles as I had access to and from Herb’s point of view. I think when the fighter fell back and his arm came up and knee came up on the correct side on the defensive side, which leads you to believe that there’s something going on. He is trying to mount some kind of defense and he understands where he is relative to the other fighter,” Tate said while talking exclusively to EssentiallySports.

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“I think Herb should have been a bit closer, and I think he should have tried to stop it after the first blow that landed on the ground. Once it was on the ground, the three after that was a little bit hard to watch because once you realize his head bounce off the mat.”

The former UFC champ highlights how an early stoppage can hurt a fighter’s career

The sport of mixed martial arts can often be very violent. The fighters put their bodies on the line when they go in to compete inside the Octagon. Therefore, it is the job of the officials to keep the fighters safe. A late stoppage can have a really adverse effect on a fighter’s health. On the other hand, an early stoppage strips a fighter of the chance to make a comeback.

The current Vice-President of ONE Championship, Miesha Tate, believes that a referee should never take away a fighter’s chance to fight.

“The point in case is, it’s really a tough job to do and you never know you are just doing it exactly right but I prefer a referee who errs on the side of the fighters to be able to do their jobs than you know everyone stopping fights way too soon,” Miesha Tate said.

“It’s heartbreaking. People don’t realize that our career is dependent on having an opportunity to at least win.”

“There’s a reason why we have a comeback of the year award you know every year because fighters do it all the time. Fighters are crazy. You think a fighter is completely done. Sometimes they are but sometimes they come back to shock the world. So just give them that opportunity,” she added.

Do you think that Herb Dean was giving Herbert a chance or should the fight have been stopped a bit early? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.