MMA referee Herb Dean explained why he did not stop the recent Brian Ortega vs. Alexander Volkanovski featherweight title fight at UFC 266.

During the Ortega vs. Volkanovski fight, Ortega appeared to have trouble making it to his stool, and he also appeared to have vision issues. However, Dean let the fight continue. Speaking to Helen Yee in a recent interview, Dean defended not stopping the fight.

“I don’t think his cornermen helped him. He was laying there, he wasn’t getting up. I think it was more of those ‘Hey, it’s time to get up. Let’s get moving.’ ‘Cause once they grabbed him, it’s not, like, they had to lift him up. Once they put their hands on him, he was getting up to get on the stool. But I think he was really having that — I can’t speak for him, but I know how it feels like to struggle with yourself. And he definitely was spending some time talking to himself there, figuring out, digging deep. Finding the strength to go on. What was interesting is he got that minute rest period. ‘Cause basically, at the end of the round, it was exhaustion, I think. He had given it his all. Then the physician comes in, medically clears him, says he’s clear,” Dean said (h/t BloodyElbow.com).

“Some of (Ortega’s) answers weren’t exactly clear, but then when he looked at me and gave clear answers, like, ‘Yes, I see, yes I wanna continue,’ and you could see that he was ready to compete again, we gave him another chance. Of course, we’re gonna kinda watch closely, but he got out there and did what he was supposed to do.”

Dean also admitted in the interview that he gives the fighters more leeways in title fights.

Do you agree with Herb Dean not stopping the Brian Ortega vs. Alexander Volkanovski fight?