Alex Pereira calls Herb Dean ‘coward’ after controversial Shara Bullet vs. Michel Pereira fight

Alex Pereira is not finished criticizing referee Herb Dean, taking to Instagram to call the veteran official a "coward" following a controversial showing at UFC Baku on Saturday.

Pereira's grievances with Dean run deeper than a single event. After losing to Ciryl Gane at UFC White House, the former light heavyweight and middleweight champion alleged that Dean failed to protect him from repeated strikes to the back of the head. Pereira absorbed multiple punches and elbows to that illegal target zone while grounded, but Dean neither warned Gane, deducted points, nor paused the action—ultimately allowing the fight to continue until Pereira was stopped on his feet.

Now Pereira is pointing to Dean's handling of Shara "Bullet" Magomedov versus Michel Pereira at UFC Baku as further evidence of inconsistent officiating. During that bout, Dean warned Magomedov twice for pulling Pereira's hair on the ground and even addressed the Russian corner between rounds, stating that a third infraction would cost points. However, when Magomedov later poked Pereira in the eye, Dean paused the action for recovery but issued only a warning—no point deduction for the foul.

Pereira's public campaign against Dean reflects growing frustration with the referee's decision-making and his apparent reluctance to enforce penalties consistently. Whether Dean's officiating in either fight warranted the criticism remains debated, but Pereira is determined to highlight what he views as lax enforcement and a failure to protect fighters from fouls and illegal strikes.