Referee Herb Dean took notice of former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira’s harsh criticism after UFC Freedom 250.
Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira’s bid at history fell short on Sunday at UFC Freedom 250. In his highly anticipated heavyweight debut, Pereira lost to now two-time interim titleholder Ciryl Gane by TKO in just the second stoppage loss of his UFC career.
Gane secured a likely rematch with undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall after UFC Freedom 250. Meanwhile, Pereira suffered a brutal setback as he plots his next move inside the Octagon.
Gane appeared to land several questionable blows to the back of Pereira’s head in their UFC Freedom 250 showdown, prompting Aspinall and others to scold the newly minted interim champ. Pereira took things a step further in his first post-fight statements, slamming Gane for ‘illegal blows’ and criticizing referee Herb Dean for refusing to rule on the perceived infractions.
Dean, who has been at the center of several controversial stoppages in recent years, rarely responds to public criticism of his rulings inside the Octagon. That precedent changed after Pereira’s fiery statement.
Herb Dean responds to Alex Pereira’s brutal criticism after UFC White House
Watch Dean defend his officiating during Pereira’s loss to Gane below.
🚨 Herb Dean defends his officiating after Alex Pereira accused him of allowing illegal shots
“I owe you guys an explanation about the rules and how I refereed the fight.” pic.twitter.com/LEc9zV1n6p
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 16, 2026
After his fiery statement, Pereira called on UFC CEO Dana White to reprimand Dean after UFC Freedom 250. In a recent Instagram comment, Pereira pushed White to treat Dean like one of the promotion’s fighters and labeled the longtime referee as a bad representation of the organization.
Regardless of Pereira’s feelings, it’s highly unlikely that Dean will face any form of punishment for the perceived wrongdoing. But as Pereira plots his next move, he could potentially refuse to fight with Dean officiating moving forward.
Should Alex Pereira return to heavyweight after UFC Freedom 250? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
