Fellow MMA referee Mario Yamasaki has given his take on Herb Dean’s stoppage during the Francisco Trinaldo vs. Jai Herbert bout.
Dean came under fire for his officiating at UFC on ESPN 14. In particular, his stoppage of Trinaldo vs. Herbert was questionable at best and egregious at worst. It led to a verbal spat between Dean and UFC color commentator Dan Hardy, which the UFC is looking into.
Mario Yamasaki Talks Herb Dean’s Stoppage
Speaking to Ag Fight, Yamasaki chimed in on whether or not he felt Dean was late on the stoppage (h/t Bloody Elbow).
“From my TV, it seemed like it could have been stopped sooner, but only the ones in there know what is like. He’s in the eye of the hurricane. He’s watching everything closely, a fighter’s reactions, their eyes. It’s hard to tell. He saw things we didn’t. As for Hardy, he should have been a little classier and not have confronted him right there. They were staying at the same hotel, he could have waited to talk to him. I don’t care, because I get focused and I don’t let comments affect me. But it could affect (a referee’s) performance.”
Yamasaki also found himself in hot water for questionable stoppages. The last straw for UFC president Dana White was when Yamasaki allowed Priscila Cachoeira to stay in her fight with Valentina Shevchenko when it seemed clear that the bout could’ve been stopped sooner. Shevchenko submitted Cachoeira in the second round. White then stated that Yamasaki would never return to the Octagon.
While Dean had been considered to be one of the best referees in the business, many believe he has regressed. From early stoppages such as Ben Askren vs. Robbie Lawler, to late ones such as Trinaldo vs. Herbert, the belief that Dean is losing his groove has grown stronger. Dean doesn’t believe his stoppage of Trinaldo vs. Herbert was late.
