Xavier Franklin has publicly called referee Herb Dean a "lying bastard" following a controversial officiating decision in his TUF 34 bantamweight semifinal against Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu. Franklin appeared to finish Akylbek Uulu with strikes in the third round, but Dean reversed the stoppage after Akylbek Uulu complained of an eye poke, claiming he had called a timeout rather than waving off the bout. The fight was restarted and went to the scorecards, with Akylbek Uulu earning the decision win and advancing to the tournament final.
Xavier Franklin lashed out at veteran referee Herb Dean on August 13, calling him a "lying bastard" after a disputed officiating sequence in his TUF 34 bantamweight semifinal against Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu cost him a place in the tournament final.
Franklin, 29, appeared to stop the fight with strikes in the third round, with Dean initially waving off the bout. Akylbek Uulu then complained of an eye poke, and Dean reversed the stoppage, claiming he had called a timeout rather than ending the fight. The bout was restarted and went to the judges' scorecards, where Akylbek Uulu earned the decision and advanced to the TUF 34 final.
Franklin, fighting out of George's MMA and Boxing Gym in the United States, entered the bout carrying a 5-1 record. The five-foot-six southpaw has shown steady striking output inside the Octagon, averaging 3.07 significant strikes landed per minute. His 66-inch reach is modest for the division, and his game has leaned on his hands rather than the grappling dimension, with no recorded takedown attempts per fifteen minutes of action.
Why it matters
- The reversal denied Franklin what appeared to be a clear finish, raising questions about restart protocols in high-stakes tournament bouts.
- Akylbek Uulu advances to the TUF 34 bantamweight final on the strength of a decision that followed a heavily disputed sequence.
- Franklin's public and pointed criticism of Dean puts pressure on UFC and athletic commission officials to review the footage and clarify the timeout procedure used.
- The controversy threatens to overshadow the broader TUF 34 tournament and draws renewed attention to referee accountability at the sport's highest level.
