The matchup between Cody Garbrandt and Xiao Long at UFC 326 took a turn for the worse in the third round when Xiao landed multiple low blows and illegal groin strikes, one of which forced ‘No Love’ to vomit into a bucket. Referee Herb Dean did not stop the fight. Instead, he briefly paused the action and then allowed the bout to continue. Naturally, the decision sparked backlash online. As criticism toward the veteran referee grew, a pioneer MMA official stepped forward to defend the call.

During the fight, Xiao Long delivered three groin kicks in total, with the final strike leaving Cody Garbrandt in visible pain. After issuing warnings and deducting points twice, the fight went to the judges. The scorecards awarded Cody Garbrandt a unanimous decision victory. Still, many fans believed the damage had already been done. Several labeled Herb Dean an “inexcusably bad referee,” and many online began calling for him to be removed from officiating duties. However, fellow referee Big John McCarthy shared his perspective when a fan asked him about the “Garbrandt vomit situation” on X.

John McCarthy weighs in on Herb Dean’s decision during the UFC 326 fight

“The Cody Garbrandt vomiting situation was handled beautifully by @HerbDeanMMA and the NSAC Ringside Physician,” wrote ‘Big’ John McCarthy. “Cody was fouled and a timeout was called by Herb. Cody has up to 5 minutes to recover from the foul. A bucket was brought in for Cody based upon him feeling nauseous due to the foul.

He did use the bucket, so it was imperative that the ringside physician at this point is controlling the physical activity and determining whether Cody can continue or does the fight need to be stopped and decided by a Technical Decision based upon the fight being in the 3rd round of a 3 round fight.”

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McCarthy further clarified that the “ringside physician” ultimately gave the green light for the fight to continue. He also explained that if officials had ruled the incident as “no foul,” the decision could have worked against Cody Garbrandt’s interests. In that scenario, the referee could have stopped the fight and awarded Xiao a TKO victory.

Naturally, John McCarthy strongly backed Herb Dean’s decision during the controversial moment. Many consider him a pioneer in MMA officiating, with more than 25 years of experience and nearly 1,000 fights officiated. He has also overseen more than 500 bouts in the UFC. In addition to his refereeing career, McCarthy also created the Unified Rules of MMA, the rulebook that modern promotions follow today.

Still, the incident left many fans confused about the rules. Several observers pointed to the rulebook while debating the Cody Garbrandt vs. Xiao Long situation. Now, with the controversy still circulating online, Herb Dean has stepped forward and broken his silence.

Herb Dean explains the rulebook after Cody Garbrandt threw up during the fight

Many fans argued that the rules require a referee to consider stopping a fight as a medical stoppage if a fighter vomits or loses control of bodily functions during a round, which would result in a TKO. Still, Herb Dean briefly paused the action at UFC 326 and then allowed the fight to continue.

Naturally, the decision sparked a backlash from fans and media members. Some voices in the MMA media, including MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew, even called for Dean to be fired, and many others echoed the same sentiment online. Now, a few days after the incident, Herb Dean has stepped forward and clarified the rule, explaining when the doctor stoppage rule actually applies.

Herb Dean told Helen Yee, “You know, I think there is something people believe that if you throw up, because they did put a rule in there about body fluids and whatnot, the fight is over. But I think clarification, or even just common sense, would be that it would happen from a fair blow.

If a fair blow during action causes body fluids, and you have to stop the fight to deal with that, the fight is over. But during the timeout, if something is caused by a foul, we’re able to bring a bucket in to make sure it doesn’t get on the mat or the canvas. And then, you know, he was ready to go after that.”

So, with that explanation, veteran referee Herb Dean has finally shared his side of the situation. He did follow the rules as the situation demanded, and Garbrandt got his hand raised thanks to Dean’s call. Do you agree with the call in light of the new statements? And do you think athletic commissions should take stricter action against these fighters for fouls of such nature? Share your thoughts below.