Levi Rothermund
The Nevada Commission hasn’t confirmed a name yet, but the debate over who should be in the cage is already louder than the fight itself
UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 headlines International Fight Week on July 11, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada — but as fight night approaches, one storyline keeps overshadowing the build-up: who’s going to referee it. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has yet to release official referee assignments for the card, and that silence has given the MMA community plenty of room to argue.
At the center of it all is Herb Dean, one of the sport’s most veteran officials, whose recent run of high-profile calls has put him under a level of scrutiny rarely seen for a referee heading into a non-title co-feature card.
A Historic Comeback Headlines the Card
Before getting to the referee debate, it’s worth remembering what’s actually at stake in the cage. Conor McGregor returns for the first time since breaking his leg at UFC 264 back in July 2021, stepping up to welterweight for a rematch with Max Holloway — himself making his first walk at 170 pounds. The two first met in August 2013 at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen, an early-career featherweight bout McGregor won by unanimous decision. Maurício Ruffy is expected to serve as the official backup fighter should either man be unable to compete.
It’s a five-year layoff and a weight-class jump wrapped into one fight — exactly the kind of high-stakes, high-scrutiny main event where the quality of officiating matters more than usual.
Why Herb Dean’s Name Is Suddenly Under the Microscope
Dean has officiated some of the biggest fights in UFC history, but a string of controversial decisions in mid-2026 has fans and fighters alike questioning his sharpness. The backlash has escalated to the point where online petitions calling for his removal have started circulating, with multiple prominent MMA voices publicly questioning his rule enforcement.
The UFC Freedom 250 Stoppage
At the interim heavyweight title fight on the White House South Lawn in June 2026, Ciryl Gane defeated Alex Pereira via second-round TKO — a finish that immediately drew fire. Pereira alleged Gane landed multiple illegal strikes to the back of his head during the finishing sequence and publicly accused Dean of failing to protect him, going as far as threatening an appeal.
Dean responded with an explanatory video insisting the strikes landed legally near the nape of the neck and occipital junction — permitted under the Unified Rules — rather than on the illegal spinal line. Veteran referee “Big” John McCarthy backed Dean’s technical reading of the finish, but UFC CEO Dana White publicly defended Pereira’s frustration, noting that Pereira isn’t a fighter prone to making excuses.
The UFC Baku Fouls That Went Unpunished
Two weeks later at UFC Fight Night 280 in Azerbaijan, Dean was back in the spotlight for the co-main event between Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira. Magomedov committed multiple blatant fouls during the bout — including an eye poke and repeated hair-pulling when Pereira was dropped — while Dean issued warning after warning without ever deducting a point.
Magomedov went on to win a controversial unanimous decision, and the lack of consequences drew sharp criticism from analysts including Brendan Schaub, who suggested Dean was simply too hesitant to insert his authority into the outcome. Pereira didn’t hold back either, publicly labeling Dean a “coward” on social media following the Freedom 250 fallout.
The Andre Fili Complaint
Adding to the pile-on, featherweight Andre Fili publicly criticized Dean for missing clear back-of-the-head strikes during his loss to Vinicius Oliveira, pointing to a visible gash in an illegal strike zone as evidence the blows went uncalled. For critics, it was one more data point in a narrative that Dean has lost a step on fighter safety.
What the Commission Is Actually Saying
Despite the noise, the Nevada State Athletic Commission hasn’t confirmed who will officiate UFC 329 — and that’s not unusual. The commission typically doesn’t lock in specific referee assignments until shortly before the event itself, meaning the Dean debate could continue right up until fight week without resolution.
How Judges Will Actually Score the Main Event
Whoever ends up in the cage, it’s worth clarifying how the fight gets scored on the outside. UFC bouts are judged under the Unified Rules of MMA using the 10-point must system, with scoring priority running in a clear order: effective striking and grappling first, effective aggression second, and octagon control only as a tiebreaker when everything else is even.
That means:
- Clean, damaging strikes outweigh sheer volume
- A takedown only carries real scoring weight if it leads to control, damage, or a submission threat
- Octagon control is a last resort for judges, not a primary factor
One key detail for this specific card: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 is contested as a non-title bout, so while the scoring criteria above apply as normal, the fight is scheduled for three rounds rather than the 25-minute, five-round format reserved for championship contests.
What to Watch as Fight Week Arrives
With the UFC Hall of Fame induction set for July 9 kicking off International Fight Week, all eyes will shift fully onto the T-Mobile Arena by the weekend. But until the Nevada Commission releases its official referee assignments, expect the Herb Dean conversation to keep running alongside every other storyline building toward McGregor’s long-awaited return — a reminder that in a fight this big, who’s watching the action can matter almost as much as who’s throwing the punches.