Alex Pereira blames UFC referee Herb Dean for Michel Pereira exit

Alex Pereira has criticized referee Herb Dean's officiating following his compatriot Michel Pereira's departure from the UFC, arguing that poor refereeing contributed to Michel's exit from the promotion. Michel lost a unanimous decision to Sharabutdin Magomedov at UFC Baku in a bout marked by repeated fouls, including hair grabs by Magomedov that went unpunished.

Michel had fought out his contract and was offered a one-fight deal against Magomedov, which he lost. Alex Pereira voiced his frustration in an Instagram post, writing that "making someone pay such a high price because of a refereeing mistake is unacceptable." The former two-division champion warned that referees' incompetence can derail fighters' careers and called for greater accountability, noting that even the UFC struggles to control such situations.

This marks Pereira's second public criticism of Dean, following his controversial loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Michel leaves the UFC with a 10–6 Octagon record after an exciting welterweight run that stalled following his move to middleweight and a shift toward more conservative tactics.