Dana White responds to Pereira's petition to ban referee Herb Dean

UFC president Dana White acknowledged Alex Pereira's public campaign to have referee Herb Dean removed but made clear the decision falls outside his own hands, telling reporters the matter is not his to resolve.

Pereira, the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion, had shared a fan-driven petition calling for Dean to be banned from officiating following a controversial call that drew widespread criticism. The 38-year-old Brazilian out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness holds a professional record of 13-4 and stands as one of the most decorated strikers in the promotion's history. Standing six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, "Poatan" lands an average of 5.16 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 62 percent accuracy, numbers that rank among the highest in the light heavyweight division.

White, 56, addressed the situation when approached by reporters but declined to intervene, indicating that referee licensing and disciplinary oversight belongs to the relevant athletic commissions rather than to the UFC itself. That distinction is a familiar one in combat sports governance, where sanctioning bodies and state commissions retain independent authority over officiating standards and personnel.

Why it matters

• Pereira's willingness to amplify the petition publicly puts pressure on athletic commissions to review the specific call in question.
• The episode highlights the limits of UFC promotional authority over officiating, a tension that resurfaces whenever a high-profile fighter disputes a referee's judgment.
• As light heavyweight champion, Pereira carries significant platform weight, meaning his public statements on officiating draw immediate mainstream attention.
• The controversy arrives at a moment when referee accountability in MMA is already a recurring topic among fighters, fans, and media.