Herb Dean is one of the best known MMA referees (Imago)
Herb Dean decided to stop Kris Moutinho and Sean O’Malley with only a few seconds left in the clash
Sean O’Malley put on a clinical display at UFC 264. gainst late comer Kris Moutinho. However, the star of the fight, despite all the punches was still Moutinho.
While the result went O’Malley’s way after he lit Moutinho up several times in the fight, the end wasn’t as expected.
O’Malley didn’t KO his UFC debutant rival but needed Herb Dean to come in the middle. Of course, Dean could have decided to stop the fight since Moutinho took a ton of punches to the head.
However, the UFC debutant wasn’t wobbly and could have finished the clash. There were only 30 seconds or so left in the clash, and many UFC stars and reporters were unhappy with Dean’s decision.
Joe Rogan was quick to call out Dean, even though he supported the referee and even Daniel Cormier didn’t understand why the fight was stopped.
Early stoppages can save fighters and Moutinho was close to getting knocked out in the early round.
However, it is understandable that many stars wanted the UFC debutant to finish the fight.
Moutinho was the undoubted star in all this and even O’Malley praised his rival for taking the fight on 11 days notice.
The Bantamweight star was also a little confused as to why the fight was stopped early but he understood why it might have been stopped.
In the end, Dean is the one closest to all the action and the referee has to make the call amidst a lot of pressure.
Many would have asked for the fight to be stopped if O’Malley got a big KO on Moutinho, and then Dean would have still been criticised.
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