Herb Dean has been getting absolutely slammed by fans at UFC events for months now, taking heavy boos every time he pops up on screen as a referee. This fan backlash? It’s been a constant for ages, really kicking off in June after Alex Pereira tore into Dean in the media, ripping him for what he called a failure to properly ref Pereira’s interim heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250.
The Call That Ignited a Firestorm
Pereira’s frustration stems from a key moment in that fight. He believes Dean should have disqualified Gane. Why? Because Gane hit him in the back of the head after Pereira was already knocked down. Instead of a DQ, the fight kept going, Gane walked away without a reprimand, and ultimately won by TKO. That decision, or lack thereof, stuck with “Poatan,” and clearly, it stuck with the fans too. That dissatisfaction with Dean has just been simmering all through 2026, probably stoked by other questionable calls the veteran ref has been involved in since. It really makes you wonder, doesn’t it, what’s going on in that octagon?
Sympathy But No Trust: Pereira’s Stance
Now, here’s the wild part: even with all that, Pereira says a part of him actually feels bad for what Dean’s going through. “I see everything that’s going on, and sometimes I do feel bad because I know it’s his job,” Pereira told Ariel Helwani, adding that he doesn’t regret his initial comments. He had to speak up, he says, because Dean is “the guy to be there who’s supposed to be protecting the fighters and avoid that something worse could happen to a fighter.” That’s a fair point from Pereira. As a fighter, your safety is paramount. But even with that shred of sympathy, there’s no trust left. Pereira made it crystal clear: he wants Dean nowhere near his future fights. “If I can have a choice, I definitely don’t want him refereeing my fights no more,” he stated. That’s a strong message coming from one of the sport’s biggest names.
Future Fights and Broken Promises
This whole situation isn’t the only thing that’s got Pereira heated. He’s also not thrilled with how things have played out since his last fight, especially concerning his next opponent. Pereira is scheduled to take on Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 12. But that wasn’t his first choice. He was hoping for a rematch with Gane, or at least a fight with Josh Hokit. Neither happened. Pereira feels like he was led on: “They told me that I was going to possibly fight (Ciryl) Gane for the belt or fight (Josh) Hokit, and none of that happened, but they do whatever they want.” He acknowledges that he said he’d fight anybody, and they’re going by the contract, but the lack of follow-through on those initial promises clearly still stings.
So, Pereira heads into UFC 335 with a lot more on his mind than just Pavlovich. He’s got a beef with the officiating from his last fight, which has spiraled into a fan revolt against Herb Dean, and a serious gripe about the promotion’s matchmaking. This fight against Pavlovich isn’t just another co-main event; it’s Pereira stepping back into the cage with a fire lit under him by these frustrations. You know he’s going to come out swinging, and every single fan will be watching to see if his performance can make a statement that’s louder than any boo.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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