Herb Dean is best known as one of the world’s premiere referees of mixed martial arts. He is often the go-to man to be the third man in the cage in the UFC’s biggest fights.
What many people don’t know, and is one of the reason’s Dean is such a good referee, is that he has fought professionally five times. Although he was never a dominant fighter, he did pick up a few good wins, including this technical knockout at King of the Cage 39 back in 2004.
Dean began his professional career in 2001 defeating Randy Halmot by first round choke. His next fight was his highest profile fight against Joe ‘Diesel’ Riggs in 2003 who would later go on to compete in the UFC. Dean lost that fight by first round submission due to strikes. Dean would return to the cage year later getting the TKO win over Timothy Mendoza.
Dean would fight twice more once in 2006 and again in 2007, but both fights were losses and Dean retired from competing in the cage with a 2-3 record. Although it was a blessing for MMA fans that Dean stayed involved and become not only a referee, but one of the best in the business.
More About Herb Dean
Why do you referee?
I love this sport! Plain and simple. I think of being a referee is similar to being a bass player in a band. The bass player provides a consistent rhythm and sets the groove so that the other instruments can shine. In MMA, I provide a steady and consistent environment in the ring for the fighters to showcase their talents.
Who is you favorite fighter? Who is your least favorite fighter?
I never met a fighter I didn’t like. The personalities of fighters are very diverse – from nice guys to so called bad guys, mild mannered to in your face intense personality types. This sport is not for the faint of heart, being an athlete is not enough, and there are very few people who have what it takes. Just the fact a fighter will get in the cage and put it all on the line earns my respect.
What are your job responsibilities as a referee?
My first responsibility is safety. As a referee my job is to prevent the fighters from receiving unnecessary damage. In a MMA match anything can happen in the cage. Knowing when to stop a fight is a challenge, an enormous amount of damage can happen in a split second or a fighter can receive a devastating blow and recover quickly.
My next responsibility is to ensure that the fighters have a fairly arbitrated match. Before I referee a fight, I clear my mind of expectations. At the same time, I need the knowledge of what the fighters can do. It’s a hard balance: To know what to expect, but at the same time not to expect anything, because anything can happen.
source: herbdean.com
