Henry Cejudo calls for removal of referee Herb Dean

Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo has called for the Nevada State Athletic Commission to remove referee Herb Dean from his position following a controversial stoppage at UFC 332. During an episode of the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, Cejudo criticized Dean’s recent performances, noting that the referee is frequently booed by fans.

The debate stems from a first-round technical knockout loss by King Green to Esteban Ribovics, where Dean stopped the fight after Green was knocked down for the third time. While UFC CEO Dana White described the stoppage as acceptable despite Dean having a ‘rough year,’ Cejudo argued that there is a lack of accountability regarding Dean’s officiating.

Cejudo also suggested that the sport could benefit from automated or AI-driven judging systems to reduce human error, a proposal that was challenged by co-host Kamaru Usman. Usman argued that a referee’s primary role is to make immediate safety decisions that technology cannot replicate in real-time.