Herbert Dean is without a doubt one of the finest referees of the modern era. And once a MMA fighter, Dean’s short-lived competitive record stands at 2-3-0, with one submission and one TKO win. Dean has been a part of the UFC for quite some time now and has been involved in some historic matches. And while in a sport as rapid as MMA, referees play a massive role during fights, often getting decide between life and death situations. But do they get paid well for the services they provide during the fights?

Apart from the UFC,  his resume also boasts other notable MMA promotions such as ONE Championship. Herb Dean is one of the veteran referees of the sport, but how much does he get paid? Let us find out.

How much is Herb Dean’s salary and net worth?

Herb Dean operates as an independent contractor and is hired by the commissions and as stated, his services are not confined to the UFC. In 2023, he emerged as the second-highest-used referee in the UFC and was seen officiating 57 fights. Mark Smith surpassed him in numbers to bag the first spot and officiated 65 fights for the UFC.

Dean earns an annual income of approximately $500,000 and has a net worth of $2.5 million. His income is mainly based on the kind of fight he is a part of. While officiating main card fights, Dean typically yields around $2500.

However, these numbers massively rise in the case of officiating high-profile bouts. Dean’s earnings during such fights range from $10,000 to $15,000. While Dean makes a considerable amount of earnings from referring, a lot of credit needs to go to his skill level, which allows him to earn well.

Undeniably, Dean has been part of several notable fights in the UFC, so it would only be fair to take a peek at some of the most memorable fights the 53-year-old has ever been a part of.

Herb Dean’s most memorable moments in the UFC

Dean’s trajectory in the UFC that marked his illustrious career began with his debut at UFC 47 in April , 2004. But there are a few that are more notable than the others and one such was the clash at UFC 48  between Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir. Dean tried his best to stop the fight when he realized Sylvia had broken his hand, but the fighter refused to walk off. Finally the medical team had to intervene and Sylvia was declared unfit to continue.

Another memorable fight was a rematch between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock at UFC 61. This time, the referee Herb Dean faced a lot of backlash after he decided to stop the fight after Ortiz landed several blows on Shamrock’s head resulting in a KO victory.

However, his most significant milestone to date has to be officiating the UFC 229 clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. ‘The Eagle’ dominated the fight and defeated McGregor via submission. The former lightweight champion lost his cool after the fight and what followed was completed mayhem. Regardless, Dean managed to separate both the fighters and handled the situation calmly.

And back to the present, he is set to be seen at the upcoming UFC 306 event in Las Vegas, Sphere, where he will officiate the main event, and rest assured the fans aren’t expecting anything less than a war!

How highly do you rate Herb Dean as a referee? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.