Herb Dean does not agree with Dominick Cruz’s heavy accusations towards fellow referee Keith Peterson.
Cruz (22-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was stopped late in Round 2 of his UFC 249 bantamweight title fight with Henry Cejudo and was visibly unhappy with the stoppage last Saturday night. After Cejudo dropped Cruz with a knee, several unanswered punches forced Peterson to waive the fight off just as Cruz was about to make his way back up.
In his post-fight speech with Joe Rogan, Cruz accused Peterson of smelling like alcohol and cigarettes, adding that he wished he would have been drug tested. But Dean says he was around Peterson before the fight and didn’t sense that he was under the influence.
“I didn’t smell alcohol on Keith Peterson,” Dean told internet personality “The Schmo” on Tuesday. “Keith Peterson was around us all day, and I’ll tell you this: If any of us suspect that someone’s been drinking the day of the fight, there’s no way any official is gonna let that pass. We’re gonna call someone out. This is a very serious job we do.”
In terms of the stoppage, Dean defended Peterson’s decision, chalking it up to a matter of unfortunate timing and a difficult spot to be in for both him and Cruz.
“I would just say it’s a very tough situation,” Dean said. “Because Dominick got hurt and when someone gets hurt, as a referee, your job is to manage the threat that’s coming after them while they’re trying to recover and get their facilities about them and be able to do the right things.
“And it was quite a while, and there were a lot of shots coming while he was trying to get it together. Keith Peterson made a decision based on what he saw, and I think it fits within the standards of a stoppage. The situation changed in that split second, and that’s a bad situation for anyone.
“So is that the situation we want? Of course not. But looking at it, can I see anything he did wrong that I would have done different? I don’t think so.”