MMA
Herb Dean backed by CSAC exec Andy Foster amid Alex Pereira's harsh digs: "That looked like a normal fight to me"
Published
1 month agoon
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
Vitor Petrino fires back at Valter Walker: ‘That guy is a clown’
Published
39 minutes agoon
September 1, 2026
Petrino isn't letting Valter
Walker’s latest jab go unanswered.
Petrino (15-2) extended his win streak to four with a unanimous
decision over Serghei
Spivac on Aug. 22 to further ascend the heavyweight rankings.
Walker (16-1), who's also among the top-ranked heavyweights in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, took a shot at Petrino on
social media by posting a photo from his recent fight, labeling it
boring.
Petrino has now fired back.
Vitor Petrino says he has repeatedly asked the UFC to book
Valter Walker
In a recent interview with Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso, Petrino
responded to Walker's comments about his fight with Spivac,
claiming that he's campaigned for a matchup against the grappling
specialist many times, to no avail.
“That guy is a clown. Nobody respects him. I don't even want to
talk about him much,†Petrino said. “I've asked for that fight
several times and I don't know why the UFC hasn't made it
happen.â€
Petrino’s interest in the matchup isn't new. His coach, Cristiano
Marcello,
previously told Sherdog that Petrino had accepted a challenge
from Walker.
“Unlike him, who has already said he's not interested in fighting
the top guys, I like challenging myself,†Petrino said, taking
another shot at his countryman. “I'll fight anyone in the Top 10. I
love to challenge myself.â€
Walker is on a five-fight win streak, with all five wins coming via
leg-based submissions, including four heel hooks.
MMA
Usman Nurmagomedovs former rival returns for PFL Chicago
Published
2 hours agoon
September 1, 2026
MMA
Kai Asakura finds new life in UFC following rocky flyweight start
Published
3 hours agoon
September 1, 2026
Asakura is reinvigorated at bantamweight following a rocky
start in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Asakura stopped Qileng Aori
with a second-round technical knockout at
UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29. The Japanese star is now 2-0 in the
UFC bantamweight division after losing his first two UFC fights via
submission at flyweight. He detailed how his approach has changed
since the move up and broke down his finishing move against Aori
soon after the victory.
Kai Asakura says bantamweight gives him more power, speed and
confidence
Asakura claims that he can be more assertive with his offense at
135 pounds, a significant improvement on how he felt while
competing at 125 pounds.
“At bantamweight, I have more power and I have more speed,†Asakura
said in a post-fight interview. “So, I feel like I can fight with
more confidence than at flyweight.â€
He also broke down the sequence that led to the finish.
“There were two things,†Asakura added. “The opponent was backing
away and he was trying to counter with the right, so I made the
distance a little bit closer and he was also focusing on the body
shots, so I put a head kick in there.â€
With two straight victories at bantamweight, Asakura now hopes to
face a ranked 135-pounder next.
“I want to fight in Top 15, anyone.â€
“I want to fight in top 15, anyone.”
After back-to-back finishes at bantamweight, Kai Asakura
(@kai_1031_) has
his sights set on a ranked matchup next time out
#UFCShanghaiMain Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/G8E8FUHmUD pic.twitter.com/3YQb84t02n
— UFC News (@UFCNews)
August 29, 2026
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