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Referee Herb Dean defends Ben Askren vs. Robbie Lawler stoppage at UFC 235

Herb dean is one of the most respected referees in mixed martial arts today. While he is usually accurate with his calls, one that came under a lot of scrutiny was his stoppage decision during the Ben Askren-Robbie Lawler fight at UFC 235 last March.

Many argued how Dean should’ve let the fight go on, especially since Lawler was seen raising a thumbs up, while others sided with his call. During his appearance on the most recent JRE MMA Show podcast, the long-time official defended his decision.

“When I see some chokes, a rear-naked choke, especially with the guy on the back face up, I take a sigh of relief,” he explained.