Herb Dean Reveals Key Differences in Refereeing Between UFC and Other Promotions

In a recent podcast, veteran referee Herb Dean revealed some interesting differences between officiating in the UFC and other MMA promotions. Dean joined ‘The Casuals MMA by OOSS Media’ podcast recently to share his stories from inside the octagon. While discussing all things MMA, Dean talked about his experience in the UFC and even compared it to other organizations, saying,

“You would think that refereeing is the same. But there are some differences, little minor differences do make a little bit of a difference. So ONE (championship) is like the inherited PRIDE space. Referees when we’re over there, we’re more Japanese style. So I have to remember when I go there I am supposed to call catches. They have a few different mechanics. That is one thing I am going to start doing more, teaching people about the difference in rules.”

The 53-year-old went on to share a key difference in rules between the UFC and ONE championship as an example. Knees to a downed opponent are allowed in ONE Championship whereas in the UFC it could lead to a disqualification.

The veteran referee also stated that he has to recalibrate his mind every time he switches between organizations to remind himself of the different rules that exist. Well, this attention to detail is the exact reason why many consider Herb Dean to be the best, even though Jorge Masdival would choose to disagree.

Jorge Masvidal blasts Herb Dean for mistakes at a high level

‘Gamebred’ recently appeared on a podcast with Geroge Janko where he shared his thoughts on Herb Dean. He pointed out an eye poke he suffered during his fight with Colby Covington and insisted that he was not given enough time to recover. Instead, Herb Dean asked him to continue fighting right away.

Jorge Masvidal isn’t a fan of Herb Dean

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— Combat Sports UK (@CombatSportsUK) June 16, 2024

This forced Masvidal to brand Dean as the ‘one of the worst referees that have ever existed’. He went on to state that Dean has made too many mistakes at a high level. However, despite the criticism, Masvidal complimented the veteran referee for being a very good person outside the octagon.