At most events, fans often find themselves criticizing the referee for failing to do what they are supposed to, including spotting a foul and penalizing the fighter. But at the UFC 329 prelims, one particular official didn’t think twice before deducting a point after Tracy Cortez’s opponent landed an illegal shot during their flyweight fight.  

Following her loss to Erin Blanchfield late last year, Tracy Cortez was looking to bounce back with a win against Wang Cong tonight at the T-Mobile Arena. However, the flyweight contender’s fight quickly became marred by controversy. The Chinese fighter dictated the pace from the opening bell, relentlessly pressuring Cortez with her sharp striking while only eating the occasional counter. Cong looked noticeably more precise throughout, but she made a costly mistake in the second round. 

With her relentless forward pressure, Cong managed to back the fight up against the cage and landed a knee to Cortez’s face while she was down, which is an illegal strike under unified MMA rules. Referee Jason Herzog immediately stepped in and deducted a point from Cong. While it did what it was supposed to and Cong became acutely aware of the kind of strikes she can throw, Cortez eventually failed to capitalize, as Cong quickly reasserted her dominance and cruised to a unanimous decision victory, earning 29-27 scores on all three judges’ scorecards.

After the fight, Wang Cong reflected on the illegal knee controversy, explaining that it stemmed from a language barrier that led to a mistranslation of the rules. Still, she praised Cortez for quickly recovering, adjusting, and continuing to fight. 

“Maybe she felt like there was a misunderstanding in the language and the translation about the rules, but it’s alright,” Cong said at the UFC 329 post-fight presser. “She adjusted very quickly and got back into the fight.”    

Regardless of the reason, Cong came dangerously close to throwing away her victory. However, it wasn’t the first time a referee deducted points for an illegal knee. At UFC Shanghai last year, Taiyilake Nueraji landed an illegal knee on Kiefer Crosbie in the first round, prompting referee Marc Goddard to deduct two points as punishment. Even so, Nueraji rallied back to score a finish at the 3:33 mark of the very same round. 

Even though the referee deducted a point, Wang Cong still cruised to victory. That, however, didn’t stop fans from calling her out and dragging referee Herb Dean into the conversation after the controversial foul at the UFC 329 prelims. 

Fans react as Wang Cong lands an illegal knee on Tracy Cortez at UFC 329 

One fan chimed in and wrote, “Herb Dean would’ve let her off with a stern warning.” Another user added, “Herb would’ve given her a warning, then let her do it again before deducting a point.”

Veteran referee Herb Dean has frequently found himself at the center of controversy for failing to call out foul shots. Most recently, Alex Pereira voiced his disappointment with Dean for not penalizing Ciryl Gane’s illegal shots to the back of the head at UFC White House, even urging the UFC to ban the veteran official. Because of that, some fans claimed Herb Dean would have likely let the illegal knee slide had he been officiating the fight.

However, it’s also true that Dean once deducted a point from Lando Vannata in his fight against King Green at UFC 216 after Vannata landed an illegal knee. So, despite the controversies, he also has redeeming moments to his name.  Still, that didn’t stop fans from continuing their backlash over the foul shot Cong landed on Cortez at UFC 329.

One fan claimed, “An illegal knee to the head for a point is a great trade for her.” Another user wrote, “You know it’s bad when commentary has to praise the ref for taking a point on a blatant illegal knee #UFC329.”

Well, Cong was dominating her opponent by the time she landed the illegal knee. Going by how the fight had unfolded, it appeared the Chinese fighter was well on her way to victory. But it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the illegal knee, which rocked Cortez, allowed Cong to inflict even more damage while facing little resistance.

Yet another user argued that landing a prohibited shot was the one mistake she simply couldn’t afford to make: “You’re beating her a—, and then u throw an illegal knee😭🤦‍♂️ Literally the ONE thing you can’t do #UFC329.” Meanwhile, another fan questioned the rule itself, writing, “Dumb rule from the days when UFC was banned on ppv and trying to gain acceptance by the athletic commissions.”

The unified rules, however, were designed with fighter safety in mind. While ONE Championship allows knees to a grounded opponent, it still prohibits techniques such as kicking or stomping a grounded fighter, recognizing the serious long-term damage those strikes can cause.

Lastly, another fan praised Wang Cong’s fighting style, writing, “Cortez had a moment there at the end but she got beat up in Round 1. CONG Wang striking looks to be on another level. Just look at Cortez face after that round. Wang is elite #UFC329.”

The Chinese flyweight certainly showcased her elite talent against a seasoned opponent like Tracy Cortez. Even after losing a point, Cong remained in complete control and cruised to a convincing victory, and that’s actually commendable. 

Following the fight, ‘The Joker’ set her sights on former kickboxing rival and reigning women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. It will now be interesting to see whether the UFC decides to entertain that matchup.