Ref Herb Dean earns high praise in UFC Fight Night 40's headliner

CINCINNATI – UFC President Dana White is quick to point out poor officiating, but in the case of veteran referee Herb Dean, he’s happy to point good performances, too.

In Saturday’s FOX Sports 1-televised headliner at Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena, Dean had his work cut out for him. Matt Brown (19-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) ultimately posted a third-round TKO victory over fellow welterweight Erick Silva (16-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC), but the fight looked like it could’ve been stopped at a number of times.

Dean, though alert and in position to halt the contest, ultimately let the fight play out, and it resulted in a thrilling bout that saw both fighters rally from the brink of defeat at multiple times (watch the Brown vs. Silva video highlights).

“It’s really tough not to respect what he did here tonight,” UFC President Dana White said after the show. “Thank God Herb Dean was reffing that fight. A lot of other guys might have blown that fight. Herb Dean, again, does such a great job.”

The fight looked like it might be over early when Silva crippled Brown with body shots and nearly tapped him out with a rear-naked choke early in the first round. However, Brown quickly rallied and had the Brazilian in trouble for the remainder of the round, and the back-and-forth action continued until the Ohio native forced a stoppage via ground-and-pound two minutes into the third round.

“He gives guys an opportunity to fight,” White told MMAjunkie. “He lets the fight happen. He doesn’t get in the way. He’s not a menace to the fight.”

Dean also had to contend with a raucous crowd. Roars of applause followed each burst of offense from Brown, who’s from the Dayton area and now lives in Columbus, and each Silva rally nearly silenced the crowd.

“During the upswings, I guess my adrenaline was so high that I didn’t hear the crowd at all,” Brown said. “Normally I do. But I didn’t hear a single thing today.”

While it’d be easy to maybe think the crowd just doesn’t have that big of an influence – and that a ref like Dean can easily tune it out – a cageside clip from the UFC suggests that’s easier said than done.

But according to White, that’s what makes Dean special. He can focus on what’s most important, and he can do the job even in the craziest of environments.

“He is, by far and away, the best referee in the business,” White said. “He’s a guy who trains. He’s a guy who actually does it and knows what’s going on when it’s happening.

“When we have a big fight and everything is on the line, I love when I see that guy standing in there.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 40, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.