The recently concluded Noche UFC (UFC 306) event was a major hit and one of the grandest UFC events. However, a few instances during the fights caught everyone’s attention. One of these moments was when Merab Dvalishvili kissed Sean O’Malley’s back. Weeks later, the referee of that fight, Herb Dean, addressed the incident.
Merab Dvalishvili comfortably dominated O’Malley and became the new champion in the main event. The Georgian fighter grappled for the majority of the fight. Amidst those tough grappling instances, in one moment, Dvalishvili teased O’Malley by kissing him. Herb Dean, who was officiating that fight, was not happy with that. During a recent interview with Helen Yee, he even condemned it.
That does fall into unsportsmanlike conduct… abusive language, things like that you’re not supposed to do… It was a little bit romantic… A little too much romance.
Herb Dean via Helen Yee’s official YouTube channel
Herb Dean has established himself as one of the most popular referees in the world. However, he has always been under intense scrutiny for a variety of reasons. Dean’s controversial early stoppages remain the primary reason. As such, even several prominent fighters of the community call him the ‘worst’. These are the majority of the fighter’s perceptions of Dean. Meanwhile, the UFC bossman thinks otherwise.
Dana White said Herb Dean is one of the best of all time. The UFC CEO mentioned Dean’s extensive experience in the field and considers him the most knowledgeable person in the business. Despite White’s endorsement of Dean’s officiating skills, he continues to face criticism. For instance, during the O’Malley vs Dvalishvili fight, there was a call made by Dean that later drew criticism.
Herb Dean responds to the criticism regarding his officiating in the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili fight
The fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili was considered one of the most intriguing matchups of the Noche UFC card. It was O’Malley’s second title defense fight and Dvalishvili’s first championship bout. Moreover, given both fighter’s rivalry, the anticipation in the fighting community was at its peak. However, the majority of the people weren’t pleased with Herb Dean’s officiating in the fight.
Merab Dvalishvili defeats Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 (via X)From MMA pundits to fans, everyone lashed out at the popular referee for asking for more action from Dvalishvili while he grappled O’Malley. During the recent interview with Helen Yee, Herb Dean even addressed that matter. As such, Dean stated he would always do that and make the sport more exciting for the fans.
I’ve seen on social media people have spoken about me calling the fighters for more action and that’s what I’ve always done… I’m looking for effort to finish the fight, so you’re either to posture to where you can potentially throw fight-ending attacks or advance your position. Those rules are there to make our sport look the way we want it to look.
Herb Dean via Helen Yee’s official YouTube channel
Even the newly crowned bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, addressed the officiating matter later. However, unlike others, he didn’t criticize Dean. That being said, such close calls are a part of this combat sport. Sometimes it favors one, and sometimes it affects one.
