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Herb Dean warned Shara Magomedov for hair grabs but did not deduct a point after an eye poke. Shara won by unanimous decision, prompting reactions from Alex Pereira and others.
yardbarker.comHerb Dean officiated the Michel Pereira versus Shara Magomedov middleweight bout at UFC Baku. Shara repeatedly grabbed Michel Pereira’s hair during grappling exchanges. Dean warned Shara’s corner between rounds that he would deduct a point if the fouls continued.
Shara later poked Michel Pereira in the eye. Dean paused the action but did not deduct a point. Shara won the bout by unanimous decision. Alex Pereira posted “Herb Dean Coward” on his Instagram story on June 27, 2026, sharing a highlight from the fight.
Michel Pereira wrote on social media that rules must be applied with the same rigor to everyone and asked where the criterion was after his opponent received multiple warnings without punishment. Adam Martin stated on X that he would refuse to step inside the cage with Herb Dean officiating.
Dean had previously officiated the Ciryl Gane versus Alex Pereira fight at UFC Freedom 250, where Gane landed illegal shots to the back of Pereira’s head.
Alex Pereira had urged the UFC not to allow Dean to officiate further fights and stated he hopes to file an appeal with the athletic commission over that bout.
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Usa TodayScotland finished outside the eight third-placed teams that advance to the round of 32. Iran missed the same cutoff by one point after three draws. South Korea also exited the group stage.
France 24Five refereeing decisions involving video assistant technology drew attention during matches between June 23 and 27. Iran, Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador each saw potential scoring plays overturned or upheld under review.
Al JazeeraCanada meets South Africa in a Round of 32 match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET. The game is part of the expanded 48-team tournament and will be shown on Fox and streaming services.