Herb Dean has gone public with a detailed explanation of his controversial foul ruling from UFC Freedom 250, defending his decision not to call Ciryl Gane’s punches on Alex Pereira illegal.
Speaking about the alleged back-of-the-head shots that drew public complaints from Pereira, Dean laid out how he applies the rule in real time and why he did not see Gane’s blows as fouls.
"The rule we're talking about is the back of the head and that's confusing because it's different than boxing," Dean said, before clarifying the specific target area officials look for. "The way we enforce this rule is we focus on the nape of the neck. I guess that's really what the rule should be called. The nape of the neck occipital junction also covers the spine and covers a line right here with one-inch variance to either side, right here. So, this is what we go over in a rules meeting. I'll let them know that this area is about off-limits. This area is a fair blow. Here is a fair blow. Here is a fair blow. Here is a foul. Hopefully that's usual for you guys and clear things up at all."
The UFC Freedom 250 event, held at the White House, was regulated by the Association of Combat Commissions, which was described as a hybrid of the Florida, California, and Nevada state commissions due to the show taking place on federal land.
Dean’s public breakdown comes at a time when some regulators disapprove of referees speaking openly about how they handle specific situations.
