Referee Herb Dean left shell-shocked after wrongfully stopping UFC legend’s fight at UFC 235 as Joe Rogan watched: “I saw your arm go limp”

One of the most underappreciated jobs in the MMA world is that of a referee, and Herb Dean is one of the greatest. The work that they do is extremely challenging, and it requires a great amount of attention and knowledge. Oftentimes, referees find themselves in tricky positions and must make split-second decisions. Failure to do so could have disastrous consequences for fighters.

The iconic UFC referee, Herb Dean found himself in one of these perilous situations back in 2019. Dean had to make a very difficult and quick decision in Robbie Lawler’s fight against Ben Askren. and called the fight in Askren’s way when Lawler was still capable of fighting, and had not tapped.

In fact, Joe Rogan and Jon Anik in the commentary booth also believed that Lawler was not out yet.

Robbie Lawler immediately criticized Herb’s decision for the fight and we could see that Dean immediately regretted his call. The referee appeared surprised and perplexed by the situation, and he attempted to explain himself to Lawler, who was handed the loss.

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However, Lawler didn’t hold it against Dean and, in fact, even told him, “Herb, Don’t you fu**ing worry about it. You’re a f*cking hell of a ref.”

A shell-shocked and confused Herb Dean told Lawler, “No man. No, I don’t understand how. I saw your arm limp, I grabbed it… I didn’t see you giving me the thumbs up.”

Herb Dean defends his controversial decision

In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Herb Dean defended his decision for the Askren vs. Lawler fight. He explained to Rogan about the angle he was viewing the fight from and said the thumbs up Lawler gave was also from a peculiar angle.

Dean said, “nobody’s gonna know whether he was conscious or unconscious. What I saw I saw everything that would indicate I’m seeing an unconscious fighter. I see an arm go limp for no reason whatsoever, and so that’s what I have to work with.”

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What are your thoughts on Herb Dean’s decision? Do you think he is one of the best referees in the UFC? Let us know in the comments section below.