Dana White responds to Alex Pereira petition to ban Herb Dean from UFC

UFC CEO Dana White stayed neutral when asked about Alex Pereira's petition to have veteran referee Herb Dean removed from UFC events.

Pereira launched the effort following his UFC White House loss to Ciryl Gane, where he claimed Dean missed multiple fouls. White told reporters at a Zuffa Boxing press conference on Sunday that commission decisions fall outside his control. "That's not up to me, that's up to the commission," White said, per MMA Mania. "I heard about it. There is no MMA in my algorithm. Unless somebody tells me, I don't know."

White's History of Dean Criticism

The promotion chief sidestepped further comment on whether Dean had declined in recent years, saying he lacked an answer. White has criticized Dean openly before, including a "horrible job" line about the referee's work during a title fight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. The former two-division champion's petition argues Dean showed incompetence at UFC White House, though whether a few missed calls meets the commission standard for removal remains unclear.

Dean has drawn controversy across multiple recent UFC events. Pereira would need to demonstrate a pattern of unfitness to any athletic commission where Dean holds a license before such a move could happen. UFC White House, held at the actual White House venue, drew 34 million global viewers according to the promotion's figures.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Dana White reacts to Herb Dean controversy, comments on Alex Pereira’s petition to have longtime ref tossed from UFC