Overview
- At UFC Baku on Saturday, June 27, referee Herb Dean warned Shara Magomedov for repeated hair pulls and for an eye poke on Michel Pereira but did not deduct a point, and all three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Magomedov where a one-point penalty would likely have produced a draw.
- Michel Pereira publicly called the result compromised, Alex Pereira shared a petition to ban Dean from UFC events and branded him a 'coward,' and other high-profile fighters including Tom Aspinall joined the criticism on social media.
- The controversy has broadened beyond Dean after post-fight footage from Baku suggested an alleged ear bite was missed by another referee, increasing scrutiny of officiating across the card.
- UFC CEO Dana White said referee assignments and discipline are handled by athletic commissions, not the promotion, leaving any formal review or action to regulators rather than UFC management.
- The cluster of recent incidents — including earlier back-of-head complaints at Freedom 250 and Vegas 119 — has raised questions about fighter safety, competitive integrity and whether commissions will open inquiries or prompt changes to referee training and oversight.