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Herb Dean backed by CSAC exec Andy Foster amid Alex Pereira's harsh digs: "That looked like a normal fight to me"

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2 months ago

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Herb Dean backed by CSAC exec Andy Foster amid Alex Pereira's harsh digs: "That looked like a normal fight to me"

Longtime referee Herb Dean has been under fire since officiating Alex Pereira's loss at UFC Freedom 250, but he's got some support.

Dean was on officiating duties when Pereira faced Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship back in June. “Poatan†suffered a second-round TKO loss, but he has since complained about illegal strikes to the back of the head. Pereira has gone full tilt in his criticism of Dean, even calling for his job.

Amid the harsh critiques, CSAC executive director Andy Foster told MMAFighting.com that he doesn't think Dean made an egregious mistake during Pereira's defeat to “Bon Gamin.â€

“The thing with Gane and Pereira, I was there. I was watching that in real time,†Foster said. “That didn't look anything different … that looked like a normal fight to me. That looked like a normal fight. I think what started that series was the punch that put [Pereira] on the ground. I know that's what started that series. He's obviously trying to finish him. [Pereira] is trying to get back in the fight.

“There was no doubt a few of them got through and hit [the back of the head]. 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. What do you do with that situation? Tell me that's not something that you've seen before. I think what started that series was the knockdown. That was the case.â€

Dean has also faced criticism as of late for bouts outside of UFC Freedom 250. Fans took the veteran referee to task after he failed to deduct a point from Sharaputdin Magomedov in his foul-marred UFC Baku bout with Michel Pereira. “Shara Bullet†grabbed Pereira's hair and delivered a low blow, but he only received a warning.

While the likes of Pereira, Tom Aspinall, and Brendan Schaub have expressed issues with Dean, others such as “Big†John McCarthy have cut him some slack.

Do you agree with Andy Foster, or is Herb Dean being protected by CSAC and other athletic commissions? Drop your take in the comments below.

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MMA

UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights

Published

30 minutes ago

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September 21, 2026

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UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights
UFC
334's lineup has been revealed, as have the opening odds.

In the main event, Ciryl Gane
is set to defend the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title against
Josh
Hokit on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The
card is co-headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Kayla
Harrison and Amanda
Nunes.

BetOnline has released its current odds for
both championship bouts, with Gane favored over Hokit and Harrison
favored over Nunes.

UFC 334 betting lines move for Gane-Hokit and
Harrison-Nunes

Gane opened at -150 and is now at -235. The Frenchman is favored to
beat the undefeated Hokit, who is currently listed at +195. Both
fighters secured finishes at
UFC Freedom 250 in their last outings. Gane was promoted to
undisputed champ after Tom
Aspinall vacated the belt.

The Harrison-Nunes line was originally released in November 2025
after they were announced for
UFC 324, with Harrison opening at -155 and Nunes at +135. The
fight fell through after Harrison sustained a neck injury and
they're finally set to collide in November.

The current women's 135-pound champ is now at -210, while the Hall
of Famer has dropped to +175.

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MMA

Arman Tsarukyan crushes Mauricio Ruffy, strengthens UFC title-shot case

Published

3 hours ago

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September 21, 2026

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Arman Tsarukyan crushes Mauricio Ruffy, strengthens UFC title-shot case
Arman
Tsarukyan cemented his status as the No.1 contender at
lightweight in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship with a first-round knockout
win.

Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio
Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the dying seconds of the
opening round in UFC
331's co-main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, further
strengthening his case for a title shot.

Tsarukyan finishes Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the UFC
331 co-main event

Tsarukyan admitted the opening minutes of the bout were challenging
after Ruffy connected with some clean strikes, but he remained
confident that he would eventually find a finish.

“I feel great,†Tsarukyan said in a post-fight interview. “I was
looking for a finish and even the first round was kind of rough,
but I knew, like, I'm going to finish him. First punches, it's
always hard to defend because both of us, we're fresh. But Ruffy is
one of the best strikers, you know, we shouldn't forget about
that.â€

“The Batman†had swelling around his eye courtesy of a punch from
Ruffy, but managed to mix his martial arts and find the finish.

“I'm such a well-rounded fighter,†Tsarukyan added. “I know, like,
with wrestling, only wrestling, you cannot win the fights. You've
got to mix it up. I made the best statement that I could do
today.â€

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MMA

Dana White fires back at claims he doesnt like Tom Aspinall

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 21, 2026

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Dana White fires back at claims he doesn't like Tom Aspinall
Dana
White has pushed back against the idea that he doesn't like
Tom
Aspinall.

This comes after Aspinall vacated the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title amid ongoing
complications from an eye injury that prevented him from returning
to competition. He has also linked up with Eddie Hearn, who has
repeatedly criticized aspects of Aspinall's contract and the UFC
model.

The UFC boss explains why fans may have gotten the wrong idea
about Tom Aspinall

Speaking after UFC
331, White dismissed suggestions that he has a personal issue
with the former champion. He acknowledged Aspinall's injury and
revealed that the Brit is seeking further medical advice.

“No, that's not the case,†White said at the post-fight presser.
“It's the furthest thing from the truth. He's going through stuff
with the doctor. He knows it's going to be a while before he comes
back. This is totally normal.â€

White claims that certain misunderstood comments and reactions may
have created the impression that the two don’t get along.

“I think because of what I might have said or what he might have
responded to, what I said after the thing, that people think that I
don't like Tom,†White added. “It's the furthest thing from the
truth. I have no reason to not like Tom. Tom's never done anything
for me not to like him.â€

White emphasized that if he doesn't like someone, it'll be clear to
all.

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