Andy Foster responds to complaints about Herb Dean after Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC White House

Andy Foster, executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, has defended referee Herb Dean's handling of the UFC White House heavyweight interim title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane in June, pushing back against the former champion's public campaign to end Dean's career.

Pereira was dropped by a Gane punch early in their bout and subsequently absorbed a flurry of hammer fists as he tried to survive on the ground. Several of those strikes landed on the back of Pereira's head—an illegal target—yet Dean did not stop the action or penalize Gane. The finish came via TKO victory for Gane, which prompted Pereira to publicly criticize Dean's refereeing, alleging he failed to call the fouls.

When asked about the incident, Foster acknowledged that some punches did illegally strike Pereira's head but explained the inherent complexity of the situation. Because Pereira was constantly moving while defending, punches that began as legal strikes ended up landing in prohibited areas. Foster noted that stopping the fight would have altered its outcome by giving Pereira recovery time, creating a genuine dilemma for the referee. He emphasized that Dean performed the best he could under those circumstances and remains a top-tier official deserving of main event assignments.

That said, Foster suggested that referees should move toward deducting points immediately for egregious fouls rather than issuing only warnings. He plans to introduce new rule language that better defines foul categories—replacing the current "intentional versus unintentional" distinction with "incidental, reckless, or malicious." This framework would help referees apply consistent penalties and reduce ambiguity at cage side. Foster maintained confidence in Dean and other criticized referees, noting that the role itself cannot be perfect and will never satisfy every fighter.