Herb 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. Moreover, in a sport as rapid as MMA, referees play a massive role during fights, often deciding 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.

Herb Dean’s salary in the UFC

Herb Dean was a fighter before he ventured into a refereeing role. As one of the most respected figures, sources claim that the 54-year-old has a contract that makes him an estimated $500,000 on an annual basis. However, his income highly depends on the level of the fight and the fighters in it.

Normally, for main card fights, Dean typically takes home around $2,500. 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.

His proficiency in officiating in mixed martial arts makes him able to adjudicate high-profile matches. This is evident in how many major events he has officiated for the UFC. Every fight that he referees adds to his bank balance and helps him maintain his top position in the MMA community. But guess what? That’s not the only source of income for Herb Dean.

Herb Dean’s net worth and other income sources

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 and 90 in 2022. According to certain reporters, Herb Dean has a net worth of $2.5 million.

Herb Dean also makes a considerable amount of money from endorsements, but his business partnerships are not available in the public domain. Meanwhile, 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 54-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, 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 310 event in Las Vegas where he will officiate the main event, and rest assured the fans aren’t expecting anything less than a war!

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