Sherdog’s Top 10: Best MMA Referees

Mike SloanJun 13, 2016

Top 10: Best MMA Referees

1. Herb Dean

Dean has been criticized in the past, especially early on, for stopping some fights too early. But those critiques have molded the Californian into the best referee in all of MMA. He won the Fighters Only award for Referee of the Year from 2010 to 2014 and has officiated thousands of fights across the world, refereeing the absolute best of the best.

Dean is a staple mostly in the UFC, but his stern control has allowed him to lend his expertise in countless other organizations. One of his most notable jobs as a ref was when Frank Mir snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm. Nobody but Dean saw what happened, and he quickly stopped the fight, giving Mir the UFC heavyweight title in the process.

Dean is so well respected that even UFC President Dana White, a man who seems to hate all officials at times, praised him after at one UFC post-fight press conference.

“When Herb does s--t, I don’t even question it anymore,” White said. “I wait for the replay. This guy sees s--t that I can’t see sitting there watching the monitor.”

There’s a reason why he takes the role as the lead man in the majority of the biggest fights in the world, and it’s because Herb Dean is the best referee in all of MMA.