Tom Aspinall Backs Alex Pereira in Criticizing Herb Dean After UFC Baku Officiating Controversy 

It appears Alex Pereira has found an unlikely ally in his criticism of referee Herb Dean, with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall echoing the Brazilian’s frustrations over recent officiating controversies. For those unfamiliar, the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250 between Pereira and Ciryl Gane generated significant controversy following Pereira’s failed attempt to become the first fighter in UFC history to win championships in three different weight classes. 

The Brazilian’s historic bid came to an abrupt end when Gane secured a second-round stoppage victory to capture the interim heavyweight title. However, much of the post-fight discussion has focused less on the result itself and more on the sequence leading up to the finish. Many fans and analysts questioned whether 6 of the 11 strikes that landed on the back of Pereira’s head played a role in the outcome. 

In the aftermath, ‘Poatan’ directed his frustration toward Herb Dean, accusing the veteran referee of failing to adequately police the action. Pereira went as far as calling on the UFC to prevent Dean from officiating any of his future bouts. The former two-division champion also revealed that he had specifically asked officials to pay close attention to the fight beforehand due to concerns stemming from Gane’s previous controversies inside the cage.

Now, Pereira has once again taken aim at Dean following another contentious officiating performance, this time during the co-main event between Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira at UFC Baku. During the fight, Magomedov was repeatedly warned for pulling Michel Pereira’s hair while grappling from the bottom position. Dean even issued a stern warning to the Russian fighter’s corner, making it clear that fouls would not be tolerated. 

The controversy erupted when he was not penalized for an eye poke in the very next round, leaving many viewers frustrated by the referee’s apparent reluctance to take stronger action. The sequence drew the attention of Alex Pereira, who once again voiced his displeasure with Dean’s officiating. The Brazilian shared a social media post from Michel Pereira that highlighted the incidents and criticized the referee’s lack of intervention. 

In the post, he said, “In MMA, there are rules. They must be applied with the same level of rigor to everyone. Respecting the rules means protecting the integrity of the sport and ensuring justice inside the Octagon. My opponent was warned several times and was not punished. When a rule is ignored, the result is compromised.”

The former two-division UFC champion reposted the message and simply wrote, “Herb Dean coward,” echoing the criticism he had previously directed towards Dean. The controversy surrounding the officiating has only intensified because of the potential impact it had on the result. Had Dean deducted a point for the repeated infractions, the bout at UFC Baku would have ended in a draw rather than a unanimous decision victory for Shara Magomedov, who ultimately won 29-28 on all three scorecards.

Adding further fuel to the debate, UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also weighed in and publicly backed Pereira’s criticism of the current state of officiating. He wrote by sharing the same video, “MMA doesn’t have rules anymore. It’s just suggestions.”

‼️Tom Aspinall sides with Alex Pereira about Herb Dean being a bad referee

He reposts the same video as Alex Pereira

“MMA doesn’t have “rules” anymore. It’s just suggestions” pic.twitter.com/WsAQTVdDnc

— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) June 28, 2026

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Aspinall’s frustration is understandable given his own experiences inside the Octagon. The British heavyweight has previously suffered the consequences of controversial officiating, most notably during his UFC 321 title defense against Ciryl Gane, which ended in a no-contest following a double eye poke that left him sidelined for months. 

With two of the sport’s biggest stars publicly criticizing officiating standards, the spotlight has once again fallen on how fouls are handled in high-profile UFC fights. As debates surrounding recent officiating decisions continue to grow, pressure is mounting on referees and regulators to ensure that fouls are addressed more consistently before a preventable incident leads to more serious consequences inside the Octagon.