Phumi Nkuta has now directly challenged Herb Dean’s explanation for the controversial finish to his fight against Adriano Moraes at MVP MMA 1.
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Speaking to Ariel Helwani, ‘Turbo’ insisted that he was still actively defending the choke when the final bell sounded and only went unconscious because the hold continued choking him out afterward.
“We have angles as well on film where you can see me still fighting the choke as the bell goes off and where I’m still grimacing as the choke goes off,” he said. “Or as the bell goes off. If I’m grimacing and I’m still fighting the choke at the bell, how am I out before?”
The undefeated flyweight prospect also disputed the narrative that Moraes held the choke for a fraction of a second after the horn. According to the MVP fighter, video footage shows the submission continuing for roughly 2.15 seconds after the fight officially ended.
“So, I’m holding it,” he continued. “I know I have a little bit of space. And man, it sucks because I hear the bell, and then I go out. If Herb Dean was right there at the bell to get him off of me, then I’m not out.
“And the whole different extra 2.15 seconds, not a fraction of a second, but when you put the timer on, an extra 2.15 seconds when you’re already in a choke for maybe about nine seconds or so—that’s a lot of time. That’s enough time for you to go to sleep. And it’s unfortunate, and the way it ended.”
The controversy erupted in the last seconds of Phumi Nkuta’s fight on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano undercard. Moraes secured a late rear-naked choke, but the horn rang nearly immediately while ‘Turbo’ appeared to be fighting the hands. By the time Herb Dean pulled Adriano Moraes away, Nkuta was unconscious on the canvas.
After an instant replay review, officials determined that Nkuta had passed out before the bell and awarded Moraes a technical submission win at 4:59 of Round 3. That decision sparked outrage online, especially since scorecards later revealed Nkuta was leading 20-18 on two cards and tied 19-19 on the third.
Phumi Nkuta responds to Herb Dean’s justification for awarding the technical submission to Adriano Moraes: “He’s not going to be my Keith Peterson. I’m not going to attack his character or anything like that, but I disagree. We have angles on film where you can still see me Show more
Despite disagreeing with the outcome, ‘Turbo’ avoided attacking Dean personally.
“Look, like I said, man, he’s not gonna be my Keith Peterson,” he said. “I know he’s just trying to do his job. You know what I’m saying? And being a ref in this sport with so much going on, it’s not easy.
“So I’m not gonna hate on Herb or say Herb Dean is this kind of person or whatever. That’s not my job. I’m not gonna attack his character or anything like that. But I disagree.”
Phumi Nkuta’s team has already filed an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission, hoping that the loss would be overturned. And, honestly, it’s simple to see why the frustration remains.
The short-notice prospect appeared to be seconds away from the biggest win of his career over a former ONE champion before leaving the cage with the first loss of his professional record instead. But if you ask Herb Dean, he didn’t do anything wrong that night.
Herb Dean defends controversial call against Phumi Nkuta
That is precisely why Herb Dean has spent the last few days defending himself publicly. Despite the online outcry, the veteran referee remains certain the correct decision was made in favor of Adriano Moraes.
Dean told Yahoo Sports that his focus turned to the hands and grips in the final seconds because he was anticipating the bell and planned to securely separate the two fighters.
According to the veteran referee, after reviewing the replay multiple times, he was convinced that Phumi Nkuta had gone unconscious before the final bell. However, he did admit Adriano Moraes briefly continued squeezing after the stoppage.
“When I stopped the match, there was a second—not a second, there was a fraction of a second—where he held onto the choke,” he said. “And because of that… I wasn’t exactly sure. I wanted to make sure I saw what happened and when things happened, so I went and looked at a replay.
“I went out to look at the replay, and I’m definitely sure that he went unconscious before the bell, right, like a fraction of a second before the bell. Then I went and stopped the fight. He grabbed for a fraction of a second, let go, and then we went and had the time to look at things.”
Ironically, that explanation is exactly what continues fueling the controversy. Phumi Nkuta argues that the extra squeeze after the bell is what put him to sleep, although Herb Dean believes the damage was done before the horn.
And because the entire sequence happened within seconds, the fight has now become one of those rare MMA endings in which slow-motion replays, referee interpretation, and split-second timing all collide at once.
Even with the California State Athletic Commission now looking into the appeal, there doesn’t appear to be a solution that will fully satisfy all parties involved.
