So, you’re telling me Alex Pereira—the guy built like a Greek statue who knocks people out for a living—is now playing the role of a disgruntled customer at a DMV? Apparently, the former UFC champ wants referee Herb Dean banned. It’s like asking for your favorite barista to be fired because they put a little too much foam on your latte.
Look, we all have that one person we blame for our bad days. For Pereira, that person is Herb Dean. He thinks Herb Dean cost him his light heavyweight title fight against Magomed Ankalaev. The internet is now divided into two camps: Team Poatan and Team “Dude, you got wrestled.”
Let’s be real: blaming the ref is like blaming the parking meter for the ticket you got. You were the one who forgot to pay. In Pereira’s case, he forgot to stop the takedowns. But hey, when you’re a world-class striker, admitting you got out-grappled is like admitting you burned toast. It’s embarrassing.
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Herb Dean: The Scapegoat We All Need
Herb Dean has been reffing since the days of dial-up internet. He’s seen more fights than your uncle who claims he “could’ve gone pro.” The guy is as much a part of the UFC as bad tattoos and Joe Rogan’s laugh. To say he should be banned is like saying your mom’s meatloaf should be outlawed. It’s a sacred institution.
Pereira’s complaint? That Dean let the fight continue too long in the clinch. Okay, Alex, but have you ever been waiting in line at the grocery store and the cashier takes forever? That’s how Herb Dean works. He gives fighters a little extra time to work, not just stand there like a mannequin.
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I get it. When you’re getting smothered by a human blanket like Ankalaev, every second feels like a decade. It’s the same feeling you get when someone holds you in a bear hug at a family reunion. You want the ref to step in and say, “Alright, that’s enough hugging for today.”
The “Everyone’s a Ref” Phenomenon
Here’s the funny thing: we’ve all been Pereira. You’re playing pickup basketball, and you get called for a foul you swear you didn’t commit. You blame the ref. You blame the squeaky floor. You blame the guy who didn’t pass you the ball. But deep down, you know you just got beat.
Pereira is going through the five stages of grief in public. First came denial (“I won that fight”). Then anger (“Ban Herb Dean!”). Next up is bargaining (“Give me a rematch on Fight Pass”). We’re waiting for depression (a sad Instagram post in the rain) and acceptance (“Ankalaev is a good grappler”).
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And honestly? The man has a point that the reffing in MMA is inconsistent. One night, Herb Dean is a human stopwatch. The next night, he lets guys turn into punching bags. It’s like traffic lights: sometimes you get a green, sometimes you get a red, and sometimes you just sit there wondering if you’re in a dream.
The Real Villain Here
Let’s not forget the actual problem: wrestling. Pereira is a devastating kickboxer. He kicks people in the face for a living. When a guy like Ankalaev takes you down and lays on you like a heavy blanket, it’s boring. It’s the equivalent of watching a documentary on paint drying. But it’s legal.
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So instead of blaming Herb Dean, maybe we should blame the entire scoring system. Or blame gravity. I mean, if gravity didn’t exist, fights would just be floating kickboxing matches. And Pereira would be the king of the world. But for now, he’s just a guy who got out-wrestled and wants to blame the umpire.
I’d love to see Herb Dean respond. Can you imagine him with a mic at a press conference, shrugging like a dad who just got blamed for the internet being slow? “Alex, I just watch the hands. If you put your hands somewhere boring, I let it go. It’s not my fault you got hugged for three rounds.”
What We Can Learn From Alex
The takeaway? We all need a scapegoat. Whether it’s the boss who didn’t give you a raise, the GPS that took you the wrong way, or the barista who spelled your name as “Alexus,” we need someone to blame. For Pereira, it’s Herb Dean. For me, it’s the guy who invented self-checkout machines.
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But seriously, banning Herb Dean would be like banning the referee in a soccer game because your team lost. It’s a silly idea that will probably go nowhere. The UFC loves Herb Dean. He’s the mascot of chaos. He’s the guy you love to hate, but you’d miss him if he was gone.
So let’s just enjoy the drama. Alex Pereira vs. the referee is the UFC’s version of a reality TV show. Tune in next week when he asks for Joe Rogan’s commentary to be muted. In the meantime, remember: life is short. Don’t blame the ref for your takedown defense. And if you do, at least do it with a smile.
Because at the end of the day, we’re all just a bunch of people who got stuck in traffic, blamed the driver in front of us, and then realized we were the driver all along.