Strikeforce Results: Herb Dean's Actual Missed Call Being Overlooked

by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 1, 2011 1:09 PM EDT in Strikeforce Analysis

One of the biggest stories in the wake of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson was referee Herb Dean's actions in the main event. While I've written that I feel the stoppage was correct and that Dan Henderson had Fedor Emelianenko knocked out, others (such as MMA Nation's Jonathan Snowden) have taken issue with the speed of the stoppage and/or the strikes to the back of Fedor's head in the final moments of the fight.

The minor controversy has completely overshadowed a moment from the undercard which seems to point out a larger failing on the part of Dean. It appears that during the bout between Gesias Cavalcante and Bobby Green saw Cavalcante lock in a rear naked choke in the final moments of the second round. Sherdog explains:

...referee Herb Dean elected not to call the tapout at the bell, allowed the fight to proceed and left Cavalcante to sweat out a decision. The 28-year-old Brazilian was awarded a split verdict, as all three judges scored it 29-28, two of them in his favor.

MMA Weekly's play-by-play backs up the tap:

JZ moves to full mount, Green rolls and JZ looks for the choke. Green appears to tap as the round comes to a close but the referee doesn't see it and the round ends. Replay shows he clearly tapped.

I've said many times that I feel that "Big" John McCarthy's time as the sport's best referee is well in the past and that Herb has taken the title. But even the best still are prone to making huge mistakes during the course of a bout.

At least Dean's error didn't cost the right man a victory.

Tweet Comment 34 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

gif plz?

by TigerTD on Aug 1, 2011 1:06 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

by pud333 on Aug 1, 2011 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Would like to see a gif or replay.

I read on another forum that Dean was right in the mix and asked Green if he was OK and Green responded by giving a thumbs-up.

by CB_MMA on Aug 1, 2011 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

That's exactly what Dean said today.

He said he could clearly see that Green was giving him a thumbs-up:
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/08/01/herb-dean-defends-his-stoppage-in-henderson-fedor-fight/

by MichaelDavidSmith on Aug 1, 2011 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Herb Dean

is going to be on the MMA Hour here in little while to talk about it

by 19Miles on Aug 1, 2011 1:10 PM EDT reply actions

I didn’t catch any of the prelim play by plays. That’s a huge miss if true, hard to believe though with Dean being pretty consistent anymore.

I’d love to see the fight just to see it, even more so now though.

by Empty Thoughts on Aug 1, 2011 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

I was there press row

I thought Green tapped at first, and the crowd was booing like crazy, but the replay showed Green was giving a shaky “thumbs up” sign.

Just my opinion, but I was right there.

Free at last, free at last. Thank god almighty! I am free at last!

by Brian Hemminger on Aug 1, 2011 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

THIS

I was closer to the big screen than press row. I was outraged that Herb didn’t call the tap, but replay proved me wrong. It wasn’t a tap.

"I have reached an age when, if someone tells me to wear socks, I don't have to."- Albert Einstein

by Tim Bernier on Aug 1, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I was outraged as well until I saw the replay

Dean had his face right in there asking for Green to give him a sign. If Green had actually tapped, there’s no way he’d have missed it.

Free at last, free at last. Thank god almighty! I am free at last!

by Brian Hemminger on Aug 1, 2011 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

So tired of the controversy

Fedor was getting his ass kicked.

by the Cobras on Aug 1, 2011 1:27 PM EDT reply actions

haha, you missed the point. This seems like a real controversy and like many, I’m waiting for a gif.

by DrTopo on Aug 1, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Somebody didn’t bother actually reading the article.

"Nine-tenths of the people were created so you would want to be with the other tenth." - Horace Walpole

by CasualMMAFan on Aug 1, 2011 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I was in Chicago too..

And I agree with Brian’s assessment 100%. Green was signaling he was okay to the ref. I initially thought he tapped as well, but changed my mind after seeing the replay. Green backed this up in a post-fight interview with Helwani too.

MMAjunkie.com Contributor
Twitter: @MMAjunkieDerek

by Derek Bolender on Aug 1, 2011 1:31 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Nice to hear that. Dean has enough annoying ‘controversial call’ remarks atm already to be adding something this huge to the mix.

by Empty Thoughts on Aug 1, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Get over it Fedor Nut Huggers

I am soooooooo tired of all the Self Appointed Fedor Nut Huggers whining about everything they can find when he looses.

NOTICE: Fedor is human and human beings loose their abilities as they age. It is called life. DEAL WITH IT!!!! He is not the MMA God that he was made out to be in the “Protected” Pride fights he had. Now that that is outta the way, lets chat about Herb Dean.

I really like the way all the haters jump all over an MMA Ref when they miss something. Herb Dean has been the best Ref in MMA since he started refereeing the big promotions! Not Big John. The reason, he was a professional MMA fighter. Herb “The Predator” Dean fought at HW and was a great heavyweight fighter while in KOTC IMHO. He knows what it feels like to be punched in the face, kicked in the leg, choked, armbarred, or takendown. He has competed at a high level and knows what the mind set of a fighter during a fight is better than most other Refs. Josh Rosenthal is also another ref with a lot of pro fight experience. But I digress…

The fact that he missed one tap just before the bell is a human mistake. Let us not forget all the total fuck ups that refs like Mazzagati, Yamasaki, and Winslow have had. Those are the truly dangerous refs in MMA today. NOT HERB DEAN!!! They have been in charge of some fights that should have been stopped way before they were or much much too soon.

I challenge anyone who takes issue with his refereeing capabilities to try to be the “3rd man in the cage” and see exactly how hard that job really is!!!

Instead of chastising the P4P Best Ref in MMA for one tiny missed call, one that didn’t even cost the true winning party to lose at that. Lets give him the credit he is do as The Best Protection a fighter could ask for in the cage!!!

by Travis Walker on Aug 1, 2011 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

LOSE. LOSE. LOSE. LOSE. LOSE. LOSE. LOSE. LOSE.

Christ on a cracker.

by Body Triangle on Aug 1, 2011 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

Challenge accepted. Please assign my first job. Here's my credentials: I can type fast and yell at MMA fans.

I challenge anyone who takes issue with his refereeing capabilities to try to be the "3rd man in the cage" and see exactly how hard that job really is!!!

by Body Triangle on Aug 1, 2011 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

I can't walk away

In your opinion, he was a great heavyweight fighter while in KOTC? Because I was interested in checking out his lengthy career there, I checked wikipedia. He fought once in KOTC, KO’ing Timothy “I wear my shirt in the swimming pool” Mendoza. His total record is 2-3.

I’d be interested in hearing your “top 10” HWs.

by Body Triangle on Aug 1, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Welcome to Bloody Elbow, Mrs Dean.

"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't." - Jack Dempsey

by Jack.Barrington on Aug 1, 2011 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

It's Blame Herb Dean Week!

by kinghaze on Aug 1, 2011 1:37 PM EDT reply actions

"Smoke some" is really gettin the heat.

by Body Triangle on Aug 1, 2011 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey what do you know, an online “journalist” writing a story about something he clearly never saw in any way, shape or form, or he would have seen that it was 100% obvious Green was NOT tapping but signaling he was okay.

This post right here is why no one takes blogging seriously. You just wrote an elaborate opinion piece about something you are completely ignorant about.

by A23 on Aug 1, 2011 1:43 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs

by Body Triangle on Aug 1, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

shots fired

by sorakray on Aug 1, 2011 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions

watch ariel’s interview with Green and JZ… Green explains the “tap”

"I’m not going to stop yelling because that would mean, I lost the fight!"-Kenny Powers
shooter/cutter for AllElbows.com and MMAFighting.com, mma enthusiast

by ekc on Aug 1, 2011 1:49 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

“It was a very clear thumbs up,” Dean said. “I got down close to the mat so I could see his face, made some effort to communicate with him, and he gave me a thumbs-up, clear as day.”

http://unintelligentdefense.blogspot.com

by MattParker117 on Aug 1, 2011 3:24 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs

Oh shit.

Delete this article quick!

Learn JiuJitsu.
Always looking for that new danger.

by RolloTomasi on Aug 1, 2011 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions

This and another comment lead me to believe this did not happen, we really need a gif. As for Big Jon the guy was never very good. He makes quite a few calls I don’t care for.

Look at last SF event, Daley kneed the dude in the groin while during a tough clinch battle against the cage but then when restarting it was in the middle of the ring. Clearly the benefited Daley, that was bad.

Herb Dean is number #1(telling Fedor if he grabs the fence again a point will be taken away while most other refs do nothing countined to show me that).

As for #2 I don’t know but its not Big John(or 3,4,etc)

I am free because I choose to be so-Me

by Kefka on Aug 1, 2011 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

So this didn’t actually happen? I don’t get it? Do I believe the bountiful Brent or the comments? I’m so confused.

It's just a world, it's just a life.

by DirtyML on Aug 1, 2011 4:13 PM EDT reply actions

MMAFighting.com - By Michael David Smith

“Although fans watching from home didn’t know it, Dean’s stoppage was actually the second controversial call he made on Saturday night. In an un-televised undercard bout between Bobby Green and JZ Cavalcante, some fans thought Green had tapped out while Cavalcante had him in a choke. In reality, Dean says, the motion some fans thought was tapping was actually Green signaling to Dean that he was still conscious and not in danger of passing out from the choke.

‘It was a very clear thumbs up," Dean said. "I got down close to the mat so I could see his face, made some effort to communicate with him, and he gave me a thumbs-up, clear as day.’"

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/08/01/herb-dean-defends-his-stoppage-in-henderson-fedor-fight/

by JConcerto on Aug 2, 2011 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions