CSAC backs Herb Dean amid Pereira criticism of UFC referee

California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster has dismissed complaints about veteran UFC referee Herb Dean, saying Dean retains his full confidence and will work main events on upcoming fight cards in the state.

Foster's remarks, reported by MMA Fighting, come weeks after Alex Pereira criticised Dean's officiating during the UFC White House co-main event against Ciryl Gane. Pereira absorbed several strikes to the back of the head in that bout and later launched a petition seeking to prevent Dean from working his future fights. The former heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion described his stance as justified concern rather than complaining.

Foster defends Dean amid back-of-head controversy

Foster, who was cageside for the Pereira-Gane fight, said the sequence looked like standard action to him. He acknowledged that a few blows landed on the prohibited area but questioned what Dean should have done differently. "There was no doubt a few of them got through and hit [the back of the head]," Foster said, per the report. "The question is what do you do in that situation? Do you stop the action? Because I don't think many referees would have, if any, certainly at the high level."

The commission chief said Dean will work the main event when UFC returns to California for UFC 331 on Sept. 19 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Foster added that criticism directed at Dean and other referees is often unfair, though he noted the job itself demands thick skin. Dean, once widely regarded as the sport's best official, has drawn increased scrutiny over a string of controversial calls in high-profile bouts.

Pereira has said he will not fight again while Dean is assigned to his corner. Foster suggested the knockdown punch that started the Gane finishing sequence was the real source of Pereira's frustration, not the follow-up strikes.

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• MMA Mania — CSAC quiets crybabies (like Alex Pereira) calling for UFC referee change — ‘Herb Dean has my full confidence’