Andy Foster Defends Herb Dean, Seeks 3-Tier Foul Rules After Pereira-Gane Fight

2 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 22

Andy Foster said Herb Dean handled the Alex Pereira-Ciryl Gane finish about as well as possible, despite Pereira's campaign against the referee after illegal shots to the back of the head.
Foster said stopping the action could have unfairly changed the outcome by giving Pereira recovery time, because the sequence began with a legal knockdown and continued while Pereira's head was moving.
The California regulator still said referees should move faster from warnings to point deductions for egregious fouls, citing Jason Herzog's immediate penalty for an illegal knee as the right approach.
Foster plans new rule language that would replace the intentional-unintentional distinction with 3 categories: incidental, reckless and malicious, with reckless fouls such as eye pokes more likely to draw points.
Dean retains Foster's full confidence and is expected to keep working major California UFC main events, even as criticism from fans and fighters intensifies.