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Kevin Holland argues fighters spend too much time complaining about referees: ‘There’s no reason to bitch and complain’

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Kevin Holland argues fighters spend too much time complaining about referees: ‘There’s no reason to bitch and complain’

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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Justin Gaethje: Ilia Topuria ‘didn’t quit on the stool’ at UFC White House

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Justin Gaethje: Ilia Topuria ‘didn’t quit on the stool’ at UFC White House

Justin Gaethje is setting the record straight when it comes to his UFC White House win, and how his championship fight with Ilia Topuria ended.

Gaethje captured the undisputed UFC lightweight title after the fight was stopped at the conclusion of Round 4 to cap off one of the biggest upsets in UFC championship fight history. While the narrative says that Topuria called the fight off, “The Highlight†is correcting the record.

“He didn't quit on the stool,†Gaethje told Steiny. “His body was too compromised to continue fighting. He didn't make the call, his coaches made the call because they're there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.â€

Topuria, however, has gone a different way with his approach since the fight ended. Although he congratulated Gaethje at first, the former two-division champion alleged Gaethje loaded his gloves prior to their clash on the South Lawn.

While Gaethje is annoyed with the internet era we're all living in, he understands that's the culture when asked if he was upset with Topuria's comments.

“Not really,†Gaethje said. “He's part of your era. You guys say weird shit for fun, dude. … I think the internet's crazy, man. It's clickbait, engagement, we're farming out here. We're farming for interactions. That's what we're doing. More interactions, more eyeballs, more opportunity. … That's the game. I don't like the game but I'm going to have to play the game. I'm going to try and be me when I do it.â€

Topuria and others have been pushing for an immediate rematch with Gaethje. Quite obviously, should Gaethje fight again, the UFC booking him against anybody else but Arman Tsarukyan would be a travesty.

As of now, Gaethje hasn't decided on his future, but he knows Tsarukyan has earned his day in court.

“I think it's natural and obvious that they're going to try and figure out who the next guy is,†Gaethje explained. “Arman just had a huge fight, a huge finish, so I think, obviously, he's at the forefront of everybody's mind and he's clearly the next contender.â€

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Max Kellerman claims he knows Dana White’s role for Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua; White responds

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Max Kellerman claims he knows Dana White’s role for Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua; White responds

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are supposed to clash in December, but the fight barely got announced before controversy erupted about UFC CEO Dana White's supposed involvement in the fight.

Joshua's longtime promoter Eddie Hearn effectively took a victory lap after the fight was announced as he celebrated the fact that the event was taking place in England and not the United States. On top of that, Hearn immediately declared that White had no involvement in the event despite being touted as one of the promoters for the card when Netflix announced plans to broadcast the December event.

During the Zuffa Boxing card in England on Saturday, veteran play-by-play man Max Kellerman tossed a little fuel on the fire by claiming that White's involvement in the fight wasn't as a promoter but rather as some sort of personal assistant to Alalshikh, who is funding the card through Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.

“Dana White's involvement in the fight, so people know, is purely in assisting Turki Alalshikh, who has been the engine behind just about every big fight in boxing over the last handful of years,†Kellerman said during the broadcast. “He's assisting Turki in a personal capacity, not as a promoter.â€

White has long stated that he was involved in helping put together the long awaited fight between Fury and Joshua but it's taken months for the matchup to actually come together.

For his part even White seemed confused by what Kellerman had to say about his role in the fight.

“I don't know where that came from,†White said at the Zuffa 11 post-fight press conference. ‘That was weird. We're promoting the fight right now. I've said 150,000 times I don't know if I've ever known anybody who's more full of f*cking shit than Eddie Hearn.“

There is a possible press conference for Fury vs. Joshua on Wednesday, but White played coy if he will attend the event.

â€I guess I'll leave that as a surprise,†White said.

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Raoni Barcelos’ coach shares medical update after scary UFC Vegas 121 fight ending

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Raoni Barcelos’ coach shares medical update after scary UFC Vegas 121 fight ending

The UFC Vegas 121 main event clash between Raoni Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr. ended in scary fashion in the fifth round when the Brazilian bantamweight went unconscious for apparent no reason during a clinch exchange. Barcelos was rushed to the hospital for exams after the bout, and his head coach Davi Ramos shared on social media he is now back to his senses.

The UFC released a statement hours after the incident to confirm Barcelos was transported to a Level 1 trauma center for evaluation and was “stable, alert and responsive, with full movement†after a “CT scan and comprehensive assessment†were conducted.

“Raoni is doing well,†Ramos said in Portuguese on a video posted on social media. “He has all his senses, he's moving his leg, his arm, his hand, he's conscious, he's talking, everything is fine with him. He's undergoing some tests, and pretty soon he'll be here to talk to you guys.â€

“I just wanted to let you know so you can all stay calm,†he continued. “Keep praying for him. He's undergoing all the tests that are standard in a situation like this. He'll have to rest because of what happened, but God willing, everything will be fine. He'll be here with us soon and he'll be talking to you guys. Thank you to everyone who's been sending messages, positive energy, praying and keeping all of us in your prayers.â€

Barcelos was up in all three scorecards going into the final round, including a 10-8 in round four for one of the judges, meaning he was a little over three minutes away from a decision victory. The loss snapped what would be his sixth straight victory in the UFC.

“We had a great fight,†Ramos said. “We practice a sport that we can't predict, unfortunately, but we know for sure that we were doing our best. Raoni is a warrior, a phenomenal fighter, and he showed you that with all the technique he has, all the skill and heart he has. He showed everything about where he wants to go, where we all want to go, with all the work we've been putting in. Congratulations to him, and thank you all for the messages. Keep praying for him, and pretty soon he'll be back here with us to put on another great show.â€

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