Dana White Says Herb Dean’s Future Is Up to Athletic Commissions Amid Alex Pereira’s Criticism 

It is safe to say that Dana White wants nothing to do with the ongoing controversy surrounding Herb Dean after weeks of criticism from Alex Pereira. The debate has centered on the sequence that led to the finish of Pereira’s interim heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Many fans and analysts have questioned whether six of the 11 strikes that landed on the back of Pereira’s head contributed to the outcome of the bout.

In the aftermath, ‘Poatan’ publicly expressed his frustration with Dean, accusing the veteran referee of failing to intervene and even calling on the UFC to ensure Dean does not officiate any of his future fights. In a lengthy video statement, Pereira also revealed that he and his team had spoken with Dean and other officials before the contest, citing concerns about Gane’s previous conduct inside the cage. 

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He later posted photos of the back of his head on social media, showing visible lumps that he claims were caused by the disputed blows. Calls for action against Dean intensified further following another controversial incident at UFC Baku. During Shara Magomedov’s fight against Michel Pereira, Dean chose not to deduct a point despite Magomedov repeatedly pulling Pereira’s hair while working from the bottom after being dropped. 

Magomedov also accidentally poked Pereira in the eye before rallying to secure a unanimous decision victory. The result prompted another scathing response from the former two-division champion, who took to Instagram to label Dean a “coward” for his handling of the fight and refusal to penalize Magomedov for the repeated fouls.

The growing controversy eventually reached Dana White during the Zuffa Boxing 08 post-fight press conference, where the UFC CEO was asked whether Dean is still qualified to officiate at the highest level of the sport. He said, “I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that question, but that’s not up to me. That’s up to the commission.”

Ultimately, any decision regarding Dean’s future as a referee would rest with the athletic commissions that license him, and Pereira would need to demonstrate a level of incompetence significant enough to warrant disciplinary action.

White was also asked about Pereira’s reported plans to file an appeal. Responding to the question, the UFC bossman said, “I heard about it. There is no MMA in my algorithm. Unless (the UFC PR director) tells me, I don’t know.”

Dana White on the recent Herb Dean controversy:

“I don’t know. That’s not up to me, that’s up to the commission.

There is no MMA in my algorithm.” pic.twitter.com/FhZ8tyW9jk

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 29, 2026

While White largely sidestepped questions about Dean, he has not been shy about criticizing the veteran referee in the past. Over the years, White has openly questioned several of Dean’s officiating decisions, including what he described as a horrible job during the light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in 2015.

Apart from this, several of Dean’s past officiating errors have come to light again. One of the most notable controversies came in 2020 during Francisco Trinaldo’s fight against Jai Herbert. Dean drew widespread criticism for a late stoppage after Herbert appeared to be unconscious following a head kick. The delay allowed Trinaldo to land several unnecessary follow-up strikes before the referee stepped in, sparking an emotional cageside confrontation with commentator Dan Hardy.

Dean faced similar scrutiny in 2018 during Khalid Murtazaliev’s bout against C.B. Dollaway. Many observers felt the fight should have been stopped much sooner, as Dollaway absorbed an extended barrage of ground-and-pound while offering little meaningful defense.

The criticism continued in 2019 when Dean officiated the fight between Ben Askren and Robbie Lawler. Dean halted the contest after believing Lawler had gone unconscious from a bulldog choke. However, Lawler immediately protested the stoppage, insisting he was still conscious and arguing that his thumbs-up gesture had been misread.

With Pereira now joining a growing list of fighters and personalities, including Jorge Masvidal and Tom Aspinall, who have publicly questioned Dean’s decision-making in pivotal moments, scrutiny of one of MMA’s most recognizable referees is unlikely to fade anytime soon.