UFC president Dana White reacted to referee Herb Dean’s stoppage in the King Green vs. Esteban Ribovics fight at UFC 332.
Ribovics knocked Green down three times in their UFC 332 lightweight bout, but the veteran Green complained to Dean about the stoppage, as he believed he was still in the fight and deserved to continue in the bout.
Afterwards, Green took to his streaming channels to further criticize Dean for stopping the fight in what, in his opinion, was early despite, again, the fact he was dropped three times.
Dana White Reacts to Herb Dean Stoppage on King Green at UFC 332
Speaking to the media after UFC 332, White shared his reaction to Dean’s stoppage in the Green vs. Ribovics fight.
“Herb’s having a rough (expletive) year. Listen, Bobby was laying there going — but he got dropped like three times in a row. I’ve seen worse stoppages,” White said.
Herb Dean Under Fire in 2026
Dean has come under fire for several of his stoppages this year, with some of them being late, some being early, and sometimes he has missed out on making calls or ignoring fouls that fighters committed.
As White said, Dean has had a terrible 2026, but he remains one of the most experienced referees in the sport today, and he is at no risk of losing his job anytime soon, even if he has made some blown calls this year.
In this particular fight, Dean can be excused, as Green was dropped three times by Ribovics, and when that happens, you give the referee a reason to stop the fight, even if Green still had his wits about him and felt like he should get a chance to continue in the fight.
In this UFC 332 matchup, Green played with his food far too much, as his hands were down at his waist for much of the fight — which is his style — but it simply did not work in this matchup against a really good, dangerous, and powerful striker in Ribovics, who kept throwing big shots at Green’s chin until he was no longer able to remain on his feet.
Dana White Reacts to Herb Dean’s Stoppage in King Green Fight