Alex Pereira has some sympathy for Herb Dean as the veteran referee continues to face boos from UFC crowds, but the Brazilian has no intention of welcoming him back to officiate his fights.
Pereira publicly criticized Dean following his controversial TKO defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC White House in June. Speaking recently on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former two-division champion explained why he stands by his comments despite feeling uncomfortable about the backlash Dean has received since then.
Alex Pereira Explains Why He Feels Bad For Herb Dean
Dean has repeatedly faced hostile reactions from fans when introduced as the referee for upcoming UFC bouts. The criticism intensified after “Poatan” accused him of failing to protect fighters during the sequence that ended his interim heavyweight title fight against Gane.
Pereira believed Dean should have intervened after Gane landed strikes to the back of his head while he was down. The referee allowed the action to continue, and Gane eventually secured a second-round TKO victory.
During his interview with Ariel Helwani, Pereira acknowledged that seeing Dean become a target of fan criticism has affected him, even though he believes his original complaints were justified.
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 said.
I had to speak my mind. But yeah, I do feel bad for him sometimes, some certain ways,” he added.
Despite acknowledging Dean’s difficult situation, Pereira remains firm about their professional relationship. The Brazilian does not want the veteran official assigned to any of his future contests if he has a say in the matter.
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,” Pereira said.
Referee assignments are ultimately handled by the relevant athletic commissions, so Pereira cannot simply decide who will oversee his bouts. His objection, however, makes the possibility of Dean officiating one of his upcoming fights an obvious talking point.
Pereira is scheduled to return to the Octagon against Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
