Referee Herb Dean is once again under scrutiny following UFC 332, held October 3 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. His stoppage of the King Green-Esteban Ribovics lightweight bout in round one has reopened the debate over his handling of fight stoppages this year.
A Stoppage Under Debate
In the lightweight bout, King Green was dropped three times in the first round by Esteban Ribovics. After the third knockdown, Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight, handing the Argentine a technical knockout victory. The sequence immediately split opinion among those watching at the Delta Center, with some arguing Green was still alert and active in the exchanges, while others felt the stoppage was warranted given the volume of strikes he had absorbed. MMA outlets replayed the final knockdown within hours of the card ending, and the clip quickly spread well beyond fans of either fighter. Former fighters and commentators weighed in over the following days, with several noting that a referee’s margin for judgment often comes down to a split second either way.
King Green Pushes Back
On social media, King Green addressed the stoppage directly. “Stuff happens. I told myself, regardless, I’m not going to be mad at myself, but I’m a little mad,” he wrote. The fighter said he felt the exchange was going his way at the moment Herb Dean intervened, and that he wanted the chance to keep fighting. He added that he would have preferred to “go out on his shield” rather than have a referee make that call for him. The loss snaps a four-fight winning streak for the American, who had been building real momentum in the lightweight rankings over the past year.
A Rough Year for Herb Dean
The controversy adds to an already long list for Herb Dean in 2026. The referee has drawn public criticism from several fighters throughout the year, including Alex Pereira, Henry Cejudo, Michel Pereira, and Andre Fili, each of whom felt a stoppage call went against them. The accumulation of incidents means every call Herb Dean makes now draws heightened scrutiny from fans and MMA media, who break down his decisions frame by frame as soon as a fight ends.
Dana White Backs His Referee
Asked about the stoppage at the post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White acknowledged the rough patch without throwing his referee under the bus. “Herb’s having a rough f-ing year,” he admitted, before downplaying the Green-Ribovics stoppage specifically: “I’ve seen worse stoppages.” White announced no action against Herb Dean, who remains one of the promotion’s most experienced officials and continues to work the organization’s biggest cards.
A Night Already Full of Talking Points
UFC 332 had already generated plenty of debate before this stoppage. Esteban Ribovics missed weight the day before the official weigh-in, forcing the bout to be contested at catchweight. The card, broadcast on CBS, will still be remembered for other reasons, from Natalia Silva’s win over Wang Cong for the vacant women’s flyweight title to Payton Talbott‘s quick finish of former champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Roberto Soldić’s successful UFC debut against Khaos Williams despite being dropped twice in the opening round. Eleven of the fourteen bouts on the card ended by knockout or submission, among the highest finish rates of any UFC event in recent memory, and four fighters, Roman Kopylov, Imanol Rodríguez, Damian Pinas, and Johnny Walker, each took home a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
What It Means for Both Fighters
For Esteban Ribovics, the technical knockout win moves his professional record to 17 wins and 3 losses, marking his second finish of 2026. King Green, meanwhile, sees his winning streak come to an end in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions, where a single setback can cost valuable ranking position. No next opponent has been announced for either fighter, and the UFC has not said whether the Herb Dean situation will prompt any further review. Both men are still expected to stay in the thick of a lightweight division the promotion continues to book at a heavy pace through the fall.
