Renato 'Moicano,' Tom Aspinall join 'Poatan' in criticizing Herb Dean’s officiating

Alex Pereira has found unexpected allies in his ongoing criticism of referee Herb Dean's officiating. Brazilian MMA influencer Renato "Moicano" Carneiro and UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall have both publicly voiced concerns about Dean's handling of recent fights, joining "Poatan" in calling for accountability.

Carneiro published a YouTube video criticizing Dean's failure to deduct points from Sharabutdin Magomedov during the Russian's bout against Michel Pereira at UFC Baku. According to Carneiro, Magomedov committed multiple infractions—including hair grabs and an eye poke—that went unpunished. "Three weeks in a row where Herb Dean has interfered with results," Carneiro stated, referencing incidents at UFC White House and a previous Lok Dog versus Andre Fili fight. He argued that had Dean properly penalized the fouls, the Michel versus Magomedov result would have been a draw.

Aspinall, who had previously blamed Dean for his loss to Ciryl Gane following illegal strikes, took to Instagram to echo the sentiment. "MMA doesn't have 'rules' anymore. They're just 'suggestions'," the heavyweight wrote, suggesting the sport's regulations are no longer being enforced with consistency.

Pereira, Dean's most vocal critic, seized on the mounting criticism to drive his point home, calling the referee "a coward." The unified stance from multiple high-profile fighters signals growing frustration within the MMA community over perceived inconsistencies in rule enforcement and point deductions during Dean's assignments.