Was Referee Herb Dean Really Manhandled by Police and Arrested After UFC 303? Exploring Viral Rumor

Was Legendary UFC referee Herb Dean arrested after the UFC 303 Alex Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 pay-per-view? Find out the truth behind the viral video.

By Nayan Kumawat

Published on Jul 01, 2024 | 09:29 PM IST | 161.9K

Image Courtesy : Herb Dean's Instagram

In this Article

Ariel Helwani slams Herb Dean for not stopping the fight on time
UFC 303 results

Herb Dean is one of the most popular and legendary UFC referees of all time. He has been part of some of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.

Some of the legendary fights Herb Dean refereed include Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor 2, Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II, and more.

Herb Dean was also the referee for the main event match between UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka 2 at the UFC 303 pay-per-view last weekend.

A video is now going viral on Twitter (X), where a man who looked like referee Herb Dean got manhandled by the police and was arrested. Rumors all around the internet are spreading that UFC referee Herb Dean was detained after the UFC 303 pay-per-view.

Fight enthusiasts are now wondering if the rumor about referee Herb Dean's arrest is true or not. The man in the footage looks like Herb Dean, but he is not Dean; a random Twitter handle posted the footage to tickle fans.

Ariel Helwani slams Herb Dean for not stopping the fight on time

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira stepped in on short notice to headline the UFC 303 pay-per-view, taking the fight with only two weeks' notice after former two-divisional UFC champion Conor McGregor withdrew. McGregor had injured his toe in a sparring session while preparing for his anticipated return bout.

"Mystic Mac" was initially set to face former Bellator lightweight champion and sixth-ranked UFC lightweight fighter Michael Chandler.

Following the massive shakeup, Alex Pereira agreed to fight Jiri Prochazka on short notice in a rematch for his light heavyweight title.

"Stone Hand" once again shocked the world with his elite-level performance. Poatan knocked out Jiri Prochazka with a vicious head kick in round two, successfully retaining his championship.

Famous combat journalist Ariel Helwani was not happy with the stoppage. He tweeted his disappointment and criticized the referee, Herb Dean, for the late stoppage.

Ariel Helwani expressed on Twitter (X), "Also, awful stoppage. Herb went out of position when he should have stopped it right away. The fight was over after the kick connected."

UFC 303 results

Despite major bumps throughout the build-up to UFC 303 pay-per-view, including primary pull-outs by Conor McGregor and Jamahal Hill and the last-minute withdrawal of co-main event fighter Brian Ortega, UFC 303 was a massive success for the company. Here is a compilation of all matches and results for UFC 303 pay-per-view:

Main Event

Alex Pereira (champ) vs Jiri Prochazka (light heavyweight) - Alex Pereira won via KO

Diego Lopes vs Dan Ige - Diego Lopes won vis UD

Anthony Smith vs Roman Dolidze (light heavyweight) - Roman Dolidze won via UD.

Mayra Bueno Silva vs Macy Chiasson (women's bantamweight) Macy Chiasson won via Doctor Stoppage.

Ian Machado Garry vs Michael Page (welterweight) - Ian Garry won via UD

Prelims

Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault (middleweight) - Joe Pyfer won via TKO

Cub Swanson vs. Andre Fili (featherweight) - Andre Fili won via UD

Charles Jourdain vs. Jean Silva (featherweight) - Jean Silva won via KO

Payton Talbott vs. Yanis Ghemmouri (bantamweight) - Payton Talbott won via KO

Early Prelims