Referees have one of the toughest jobs in MMA because fans and fighters rarely remember when they make a good call, but just about everybody watching never forgets a bad move made in the cage.
Lately, veteran referee Herb Dean has gone from fan favorite to one of the most vilified figures in the sport after Alex Pereira went on a public campaign complaining about his work at the UFC White House card. On that night, Pereira was dropped by a punch and as he held onto Ciryl Gane in an attempt to survive and recover, he was blasted with several punches and elbows with replays showing that a few slipped through and hit him in a back of the head, which is illegal.
A few moments later back on the feet, Gane's assault continued and Dean ultimately stopped the fight to rescue Pereira from further harm. Ever since Pereira's complaints went public, Dean has found himself being booed louder and louder whenever he appears on camera.
But eight-year UFC veteran Kevin Holland just doesn't see the need to throw a referee under the bus and it's something he's never done much nor does he plan on employing that tactic in the future.
“I think we're all thinking about the [Alex] Pereira situation,†Holland told MMA Fighting. “I remember Jamahal [Hill] was crying about [Herb Dean] stepping in between them [at UFC 300] and not giving them a proper reset. Nobody said nothing about that. I think it's just the same.
“We all know what we step in there to do and they're there to protect us and sometimes they can protect us fully and sometimes they can't. At the end of the day before the fight gets started, it says protect yourself at all times and we have to protect ourselves. It's part of the game.â€
While Holland understands there are rules that have to be followed, a fight can get a little crazy and messy at times and the referee can't catch everything that's happening, especially in a rapid-fire sequence like what unfolded at UFC White House.
Holland has been fouled plenty of times and it's obviously never a desirable outcome, he's learned through painful experience that complaining about it only goes so far.
“I signed up to be a fighter,†Holland said. “I try and be a fighter first and foremost. If there's ever a situation where I can't fight, hell, it beats me up more than anybody else. This is what we signed up to do. Win, lose or draw, you signed up to do this. So just take what you get.
“I've got two sons, I don't have two daughters. I don't want my sons to grow up thinking it's OK to cry and complain and bitch about stuff. There's no reason to bitch and complain. Do better next time and figure it out. Man up.â€
Funny enough, Holland has endured a mixed bag of experiences with Dean refereeing his fights but he would never publicly campaign to get him fired or removed from future events.
“He was the ref in the [Khamzat] Chimaev fight — lot of short grabbings, a lot of weird stuff on the ground but I never complained,†Holland said. “He's my ref another time. There was that time I got the head butt knockout and he was sitting on the sidelines. We've got our good times, we've got our bad times. It's part of the game. He's been doing it a long time. Maybe it's a lot of shit on his plate for one night. Maybe it's not enough on his plate for one night so he's bored.
“I ain't got nothing to say against Herb. He's an O.G. in the game. It is what it is. They always tell you before the fight starts, don't make the ref have to intervene with your fight. You're probably not going to like what they have to say.â€
It's unlikely the scrutiny Dean has faced lately is just going to go away, and he's received public support from executives like UFC CEO Dana White as well as Andy Foster, who is the executive director at the California State Athletic Commission.
For his part, Holland believes more fighters need to remember the sport they're competing in and spend a lot less time complaining about the third person in the octagon.
“We know what we're getting ourselves into,†Holland said. “That's what it all boils down to.â€
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