“F**K You Herb Dean” – Referee Criticized For Knee-To-The-Head Controversy After ‘Weird’ 30-27 UFC Austin Decision

Adam Miller

UFC Austin saw some spectacular fights, including a few knockouts. Damir Ismagulov and Guram Kutateladze had an amazing match as well. However, the judge’s ruling perplexed viewers and competitors.

Kutateladze entered the fight as the underdog. The two fighters began the match by throwing small punches at one other to gauge their range. The opening round got off to a tight start, with both fighters showcasing incredible striking abilities.

Kutateladze then controlled the striking exchanges, leaving Ismagulov with little choice except to attempt to avoid him. After utilizing his jab as a weapon, Ismagulov countered Kutateladze and won the second round. Kutateladze made an effort to take down Ismagulov but was unsuccessful.

Round 3 was as tight, with the two trading blows. The whole arena was stunned when Bruce Buffer revealed the results. The judges gave the competition 30-27, 28-28, and 29-28 as their scores.

On Twitter, fans reacted quickly to this choice. Most of them were taken aback and couldn’t believe one of the judges had given the battle a 30-27 score. Most of them believed Kutateladze had done enough to win the fight.

Even fighter Belal Muhammad expressed his displeasure with the ludicrous scoring.

On the other hand, several supporters were furious with referee Herb Dean due to the knee-to-head incident. This occurred after Kutateladze launched a knee that impacted Ismagulov’s head, according to Dean. However, after studying the footage, it became clear that this was a knee to the head of a grounded opponent, and the ref just gave Ismagulov time to recuperate.

To make matters worse Dean didn’t pause the clock and effectively deprived Kutateladze of 14 seconds in addition to the shoddy call.

The commentators then noted that the scorecard included an error. Kutateladze was given a score of 29-28 instead of 28-28 by the judge. Ismagulov won the bout on a split decision.

Ismagulov continues his winning streak to 19 bouts and improves his professional record to 24-1-0 with this split decision victory. With five victories in the UFC, he is now unbeaten. This is a significant step forward in his career.