Daniel Cormier recently clarified his stance on the Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill light heavyweight title fight at UFC 300, emphasizing that he was simply posing a question rather than making an assertion. Pereira secured a first-round knockout victory to retain the 205-pound strap.
During the bout, Hill inadvertently landed a kick to Pereira’s groin, prompting referee Herb Dean to momentarily intervene to assess Pereira’s condition.
John McCarthy asserted that Dean’s actions were appropriate
Despite Dean’s brief attempt to pause the fight, Pereira signaled that he wanted to continue without interruption. Seconds later, Pereira landed a devastating left hook that led to Hill’s knockout defeat.
In the aftermath, speculation arose within the MMA community regarding whether Dean’s brief intervention had affected Hill’s focus, potentially contributing to his knockout loss. Cormier was among those who questioned this possibility initially.
However, former referee John McCarthy later refuted the notion, asserting that Dean’s actions were appropriate and that fighters have control over their recovery time following a foul.
Cormier took to social media platform X to clarify his stance and express support for McCarthy’s assessment. He acknowledged that McCarthy’s expertise in refereeing gave credibility to his evaluation of the situation.
Former UFC lightweight Kevin Lee also weighed in on the issue, likening the situation to the Mayweather vs. Ortiz bout and emphasizing the importance of fighters protecting themselves at all times.
McCarthy, in his X post, defended Dean against criticism and emphasized that the referee’s actions were in line with established protocol.
It is inherently bad for the sport and unbelievably embarrassing to hear people who supposedly know the sport of MMA smear the actions of @HerbDeanMMA as if he was responsible for the knockout of @JamahalH @ufc 300.
Let’s make this as clear as possible for everyone. Herb was…
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) April 18, 2024
He emphasized that fighters are responsible for determining their recovery time following a foul and praised Dean for adhering to officiating standards during the fight.
