Referee Herb Dean witnessed one of the year`s most alarming knockouts from a ringside perspective.
The veteran official was the third man in the cage for the featured middleweight preliminary bout at UFC 317 between Gregory Rodrigues and Jack Hermansson. Rodrigues delivered a brutal finish, landing a heavy punch that immediately sent Hermansson to the canvas.
Compounding the severity of the knockout was a follow-up strike Rodrigues landed on a clearly unconscious Hermansson. The disturbing sequence left fellow fighters in awe of Rodrigues`s power, while prompting questions about whether Dean should have stopped the fight sooner.
“Herb Dean has lost a step,” wrote UFC middleweight Eryk Anders on Twitter.
This incident adds to recent controversies surrounding Dean, a highly regarded MMA official who has faced increased scrutiny. Previously, UFC commentator Joe Rogan criticized Dean`s officiating at UFC 306, and former commentator Dan Hardy notably protested a late stoppage by Dean in July 2020.
