Alex Pereira, a fighter chasing history, just threw a curveball. After publicly ripping into veteran referee Herb Dean for what went down at UFC Freedom 250, Pereira is now pulling a surprising U-turn, actually admitting he feels bad for the official.
The “Poatan” Feud That Blew Up
Pereira’s dream of becoming the first fighter to snag titles in three weight classes evaporated on June 14 at UFC Freedom 250. Ciryl Gane stopped “Poatan” in the second round, and boy, did that finish ignite a firestorm. Fans went ballistic over Gane’s 11-strike sequence, especially those six blows to the back of Pereira’s head. Did that sequence seal the deal? Pereira sure thought so. He went public, calling out Dean for not stepping in, even going as far as to demand the UFC ensure Dean wouldn’t officiate his future bouts. You don’t get much clearer than that, right?
This wasn’t just a one-off for Dean either. He’s been under the microscope for a while. There was the controversial Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira fight at UFC Baku, and Dana White himself admitted Dean had a “difficult year” after the rough first-round stoppage in the King Green vs. Esteban Ribovics fight at UFC 332. The pressure has been mounting on Dean, and Pereira’s criticism just poured fuel on that fire.
A Surprising Shift, But The Stance Holds
Now, here’s where it gets wild. Despite all the public beef, Pereira is showing a glimmer of sympathy for Dean. Since June 2026, Dean has been catching all kinds of heat from fans, even getting booed at events. It seems that constant backlash is getting to Pereira. In a chat with Ariel Helwani, Pereira opened up, explaining why he originally spoke out. He said in Portuguese, “I see everything that’s going on, and sometimes I do feel bad because I know it’s his job, but when I spoke, I was just advocating because he’s the guy to be there who’s supposed to be protecting the fighters and avoid that something worse could happen to a fighter.”
Pereira stands by what he said, but seeing Dean get roasted? He admits it hasn’t been easy. “I had to speak my mind. But yeah, I do feel bad for him sometimes, some certain ways,” Pereira added. Sounds like a mixed bag of emotions, right? But don’t get it twisted: this doesn’t mean Dean is back in Pereira’s good graces for officiating. The former two-division champ still wants Dean out of his future bouts. He made it clear: “I don’t know how things role in the fight night, but if I can have a choice, I definitely don’t want him refereeing my fights no more.” The message is loud and clear: personal feelings aside, the professional boundary remains.
So what’s next for “Poatan”? He’s gearing up for a huge five-round co-main event against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12. This isn’t just any fight. It’s got major implications for the heavyweight title picture, and you can bet everyone will be watching the officiating like a hawk. Will Dean be assigned to that bout? Or will Pereira get his wish for a different ref? The drama around the octagon just keeps on rolling.
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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