Referee Herb Dean is one of the most respected referee’s in the mixed martial arts world, having officiated thousands of MMA bouts. When it comes to the upcoming super fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather, the referee is staying clear of that fight.
“It’s a boxing fight. I don’t know why we should use an MMA referee,” Dean told Bloody Elbow. “I think the (boxing referee) would understand the boxing grappling that’s legal.”
While Dean has a plethora of experience as a professional MMA referee, the official has little to no experience in the boxing realm as a referee.
One huge factor that played a role in Dean not wanting to officiate the super fight is that there are also more qualified officials that can handle the job.
“I can see (potential bias) being a concern more, but myself, I wouldn’t want to referee it. My experience is with refereeing MMA, so there’s a bunch of people more qualified to do it than I am,” he said. “It’s a boxing match."
Conor McGregor versus Floyd Mayweather takes place on Saturday, August 26 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
