Position and speed could mean the difference between one extra concussion and three of them, and in the case of Derrick Lewis’ knockout blow from Curtis Blaydes, both were not entirely in Herb Dean’s favor.
This is according to veteran official and current Bellator commentator John McCarthy, who said that Dean’s performance at UFC Vegas 19 was not perfect, but that it was as good as could be expected given the specific circumstances.
Dean, whose calls have regularly been the subject of controversy among UFC fans, fighters and even employees, has found that he is leaning towards a few heavyweight fights – Aleksei Oleinik against Chris Daukaus and Curtis Blaydes against Derrick Lewis. In the former, Oleinik struck several unanswered blows while covering his feet, while Blaydes took two while unconscious.
Dean is criticized for not stopping the Oleinik battle quickly enough while the Russians plunder. But McCarthy said the history of Oleinik may have played a role in the room for maneuver he was given before he was taken out of the fight.
‘Could Herb have stopped it earlier? Yes, he could, ‘McCarthy said on the’ Weighing In ‘podcast he co-hosts with UFC vet Josh Thomson. “But there may be things he sees at the time that tell him, ‘No, I have to let it go,’ and he worked with Olineik.”
While some fans online believed they saw Oleinik look up to Dean in a plea of sorts for intervention, McCarthy said the grizzled veteran’s attempt to make him fight longer could just as well have been.
“If you were going to watch 100 people, you would probably go 50 people, ‘I would have stopped it earlier’ and 50 people who say, ‘I thought it was good,’ McCarthy said. ‘Olineik has not hit the ground either, and if you have a man who’s been fighting 75 in his career, and he’s not hit the ground yet and he’s trying to get back, we sometimes let that man swim in deep waters.
“When Herb thought he was drowning, he pulled him out. Is everyone going to agree with that? But that’s just your opinion. You are not in there. ‘
Dean was there to catch a faltering Oleinik after waving the fight, just shy of the two-minute mark of the first round. At that point, he was standing a few feet away from him when the veteran’s balance was questioned. The same cannot be said for his position when Blaydes was knocked unconscious when he shot in the evening’s header for a removal.
Lewis blamed Dean when Blaydes’ corner allegedly argued that the few hits landed on their fighter after the eloquent blow. But according to McCarthy, Lewis correctly named Dean as the ultimate deciding point of the fight.
“At the back most referees are going to say to the fighter, ‘Hey, you’re going after him, you’ll hit the man, you’re stopping when I tell you to stop. ‘Do not stop unless I tell you to stop, because we’re getting guys cheating.
‘They will get stuck in a position, and they will see where the referee is, and they will reach out and start tapping on the fighter. The fighter lets go of the hold, and the referee does not see it, and all of a sudden the bottom fighter starts fighting, and the referee lets it go, and all of a sudden everything falls apart for the guy who should have won the fight. ”
McCarthy cited another fight Dean faced – Amanda Ribas vs. Marina Rodriguez at UFC 257 – as an example of how body language can go south. Rodriguez believed Dean wanted to stop the fight when he closed distance after dropping Ribas. But Dean did not make contact and swung the fight down, forcing Rodriguez to double her efforts.
McCarthy indicated that Lewis’ decision to hit Blaydes after the initial knockout was a choice. But it was one he was within his rights to make.
‘Should Derrick hit him again? No, he does not, ”McCarthy said. ‘It depends on him. But if Blaydes hits the ground, and if it hits the ground, it brings him back, and Derrick Lewis walks away, Herb will stand there and go, ‘You should have gone after him.’
So Derrick did what he had to do. The problem for Derrick is that Herb is behind him, so he has to move. Blaydes falls away from him. Believe me, time for Herb is going in slow motion. He tries to get there as fast as possible, and it seems like it’s going on forever. It’s really fast. Derrick Lewis is able to land many shots one second at a time. ”
Lewis said after his victory that he was not sure whether Blaydes would recover and be in the fight again. Be that as it may, McCarthy has seen fighters come back from incredible penalty shots.
It was Dean’s job to stop everyone from landing, and McCarthy believes the veteran referee did the best he could.
“He got there so fast,” McCarthy said. ‘Is Derrick Lewis wrong for beating Blaydes when he was unconscious? No. This is basically what happens sometimes. ‘
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