Herb Dean had a entrance row seat to one of many scariest knockouts of the yr.
The veteran referee was the third man within the cage for the UFC 317 featured preliminary bout between middleweight veterans Gregory Rodrigues and Jack Hermansson. Rodrigues scored a hellacious finish when he caught Hermansson with a tough punch that instantly left Hermansson flat on the canvas.
Making the knockout worse was the follow-up strike that Rodrigues landed on a defenseless Hermansson. It was an unpleasant scene, one which left professionals marveling at Rodrigues’ energy and no less than one questioning whether or not Dean might have been in higher place to step in sooner.
“Herb Dean has misplaced a step,” UFC middleweight Eryk Anders wrote on Twitter.
This isn’t the primary controversy surrounding Dean, one among MMA’s most embellished officers that has come underneath elevated scrutiny lately. UFC commentator Joe Rogan criticized Dean for calling for more action in the primary occasion of UFC 306, and former UFC commentator Dan Hardy memorably yelled at Dean for what he perceived to be a late stoppage at a July 2020 UFC occasion.
Take a look at how professionals reacted to Rodrigues and Dean’s work at UFC 317 beneath.
Herb Dean has misplaced a step
— Eryk Anders (@erykanders) June 29, 2025
Whenever you free fall and hit ya head on that canvas….. ooof! What a vicious left hook
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) June 29, 2025
I assumed Hermanson was wanting actually good too. Robocop bas the one shot KO energy although. Want herb acquired in the best way of that hammer fist on the finish. #ufc319
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) June 29, 2025
Wow Gregory Robocop that’s assured 50K #UFC317
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) June 29, 2025
Geezzzz that was a brutal KO and Hammer fist after, herb was only a break up second late
— Billy Quarantillo (@BillyQMMA) June 29, 2025
