“Herb Was in a Tough Position”- Controversial Kevin Lee Submission Sees Ex-UFC Referee Defend “Real Deal” Herb Dean Amid UFC Vegas 76 Criticism by Fans

The fight between Kevin Lee and Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC Vegas 76 left the MMA world divided about what happened in the arena. While many netizens commended the Russian mixed martial artist for his big win, many others questioned the credibility of Herb Dean as a referee. However, Dean recently received refuge at the threshold of the former UFC referee, John McCarthy. 

Fakhretdinov instantly dominated the Octagon and put Lee under a guillotine choke, thereby sending the American warrior to the shadow realm within moments. But many MMA fans took to social media and claimed that Dean delayed the stoppage. During a recent episode of the ‘Weighing In’ podcast, John McCarthy, also known as ‘Big John,’ had a discussion with former UFC contender Josh Thomson. The topic of their conversation was Dean’s controversial decision. However, McCarthy defended Dean’s decision during the talk.

Former UFC referee comes to the rescue of Herb Dean

In episode #376 of ‘Weighing In’, ‘Big John’ and ‘Punk’ Thomson talk about the events of UFC Vegas 76. Although the main event between Sean Strickland and Abusupiyan Magomedov was one of the unavoidable topics, the duo also talked about the bout between Lee and Fakhretdinov. Right after the bout, the world of mixed martial arts was split into two factions. One-half of the fans dissed Dean for not stopping the fight in time. While the other half stood in support of the referee. 

‘Big John’ also spoke in support of the fellow referee. He said, “Herb was in a tough position. He [Kevin Lee] was out for a little bit. Herb was in a tough position because his arms were both inside on the legs, with weight on him, so he’s trying to see if he’s loose. And it was a tough position. It was a good call to stop the fight.” 

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Furthermore, McCarthy put forth his claim that Dean was indeed the real deal. He added, “People now know the dude is the real deal.” As per McCarthy, Dean, in fact, showcased commendable skills during the fight.

Fans diss Dean following the stoppage at UFC Vegas 76

Right after Dean confirmed that Lee was truly unconscious, he stopped the fight and handed Fakhretdinov the win. However, the fans were upset about the decision. 

While many commended Dean for the stoppage, many others claimed that the fight should have been stopped much earlier. 

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What do you think of Dean’s decision? Let us know in the comments down below.