Celebrated MMA Ref Herb Dean Under Fire For Slow Call On Guillotine

Herb Dean is recognized as one of the best referees working in MMA today, but critics and fans are attacking the cage arbiter after an incident tonight at the Bellator event in Temecula, Calif. where he allowed Bubba Jenkins to be held in a guillotine choke for at least seven seconds after the former NCAA wrestling champion had already passed out.

Former World Series of Fighting champion Georgi Karakhanyan defeated Jenkins in the first round of the featherweight bout, improving his career record to 24-4-1. Karakhanyan's antics once finally pulled away from the hold weren't enough to overshadow the criticism levied toward Dean for allowing Jenkins to be choked out for so long. Karakhanyan himself might have released the hold once realizing Jenkins was unconscious; on the other hand, fighters are trained not to let go until ordered to by the referee.

[Spike]