At UFC 317, veteran referee Herb Dean was the third man in the cage for the featured middleweight preliminary bout between Gregory Rodrigues and Jack Hermansson. The fight concluded with a dramatic knockout when Rodrigues landed a powerful punch that immediately left Hermansson unconscious on the canvas.
The situation was made more alarming by a follow-up strike delivered by Rodrigues to the already unresponsive Hermansson. This unsettling moment drew significant attention and commentary from within the MMA community, with many acknowledging Rodrigues`s striking power while some expressed concern over Dean`s timing in stopping the contest.
Specifically, UFC middleweight Eryk Anders took to social media to comment, stating, “Herb Dean has lost a step.”
This incident adds to recent discussions and scrutiny surrounding Dean, who is one of the sport`s most experienced officials but has faced criticism regarding the timing of stoppages in previous fights, notably from figures such as Joe Rogan and Dan Hardy.