The debate surrounding Ciryl Gane’s victory over Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 continues to intensify. But one of the most respected referees in mixed martial arts believes Herb Dean made the correct call.
Former UFC referee and longtime rules expert John McCarthy publicly defended Dean following Pereira’s accusations that illegal strikes to the back of his head contributed to his TKO loss during the interim heavyweight title fight on the White House South Lawn.
Pereira has since vowed to appeal the result and even requested that Dean never officiate one of his fights again. McCarthy, however, says the situation is far more complicated than Pereira is making it out to be.
Pereira Plans Appeal
The controversy stems from the fight-ending sequence in the second round of UFC Freedom 250. After dropping Pereira with a sharp jab, Ciryl Gane swarmed his opponent with punches and elbows while the former two-division champion attempted to recover by grabbing onto Gane’s leg.
Pereira later posted images showing swelling on the back of his head and argued that several strikes landed illegally during the sequence. The Brazilian also criticized Dean’s handling of the fight, claiming the referee failed to intervene despite what he viewed as obvious fouls.
McCarthy Explains Why It’s Not So Simple
Speaking on MMA Junkie Radio, McCarthy said fans must understand how rapidly positions change during a finishing sequence. “Pereira gets hurt, he goes down, and Gane goes after him,” McCarthy explained. “He hits him with a couple of really hard shots. They were all legal, right to the side of the head.”
According to McCarthy, once Pereira grabbed Gane’s leg and began moving forward, the target area constantly shifted.
“He starts throwing elbows, but he’s also being pushed by Alex, who’s grabbing a leg and now pushing forward,” McCarthy said. “Your target can be changed by the momentum or the push or just the body in motion of the opponent.” That movement, McCarthy argued, makes it impossible to expect fighters to instantly stop strikes already in motion.
How Officials View Back-of-the-Head Strikes
McCarthy also shed light on how referees instruct fighters regarding illegal blows. During pre-fight rules meetings, officials explain that accidental contact can occur when a fighter changes position during an exchange.
“If you start to open up and you start to hit that person, and you’re going after that side trying to target the ears, and then their head moves or their body position moves and you hit them square to the back of the head, it’s not on you,” McCarthy explained.
Instead, referees will typically issue a warning if they believe a fighter is beginning to target the prohibited area intentionally. “When I say watch the back of the head, that means I’m telling you that the opponent’s movement caused it, but I can’t have you throw another one in the same area,” McCarthy said.
Dean’s Difficult Position
McCarthy acknowledged that Pereira may have absorbed strikes near the back of the head but emphasized the challenge Dean faced in real time. “I’m not saying that Alex possibly didn’t get hit to the back of the head,” McCarthy said.
However, he noted that Dean was monitoring an active finishing sequence involving constant movement from both fighters. “When you’re looking at it in real time and being in the position that Herb Dean was in, I have a fighter who’s in what we call a finishing sequence,” McCarthy said.
The veteran referee added that officials cannot always see every angle during chaotic exchanges. “There are things you might not see as far as the exact area based upon what side you’re on and what side you’re going after,” McCarthy explained.
Controversy Continues
The debate has quickly become one of the most discussed storylines coming out of UFC Freedom 250. Pereira maintains that illegal strikes changed the course of the fight. While both Dean and McCarthy have publicly defended the officiating.
For now, the result stands, with Gane capturing the interim heavyweight championship and positioning himself for a future title unification bout against Tom Aspinall. Whether Pereira’s appeal gains traction remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the fallout from UFC Freedom 250 is far from over.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
