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Aljamain Sterling was part of close friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili's corner for his title fight against Sean O'Malley at Noche UFC 306. It was a mighty successful night for the crew from Long Island, New York, but the performance of referee Herb Dean frustrated 'Funk Master'.
According to Sterling, and other figures within MMA such as UFC commentator Jon Anik, Dean inserted himself into the bantamweight title fight too often.
With Dvalishvili known for his wrestling-heavy style, it was expected that there would be moments during the fight when the action slowed as 'The Machine' looked to gain control over his opponent on the ground or against the cage.
But the referee for the Noche UFC 306 main event was too involved, according to Sterling. Dean consistently instructed the fighters to "work," a warning that without an uptick in action, he would reset both fighters' position.
During a recent interview with Submission Radio, the former bantamweight champion was asked to share his thoughts on the veteran referee's performance. He said this:
"I definitely think he interjected way more than he should have. Merab would just get a takedown, he's landing knees, he's landing punches, and [Herb Dean] is like, 'Work! Or I'm going to stand you up.' I was so confused about what was going on. We've seen a lot of other previous grappling scenarios and I don't think we heard the ref get anywhere near as vocal."
Watch Aljamain Sterling's comments below (2:15):
Aljamain Sterling explains PED accusations aimed at upcoming opponent Movsar Evloev
Aljamain Sterling's next fight will come against the undefeated Movsar Evloev, with the pair set to clash at UFC 307.
Both fighters have taken aim at the other during the build-up to their featherweight clash, with 'Funk Master' accusing Evloev of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) on numerous occasions.
During the same interview, the former champion was asked about his accusations against the No. 6-ranked featherweight. He said:
"You don't hear those suspicions about me... A lot of my opponents, my upcoming opponent, I've heard very similar conversations. People talking, so maybe [Evloev] should check his circle. Whoever the hell he's telling that are telling other people that it's now circulating and coming back to me... I'm just calling a spade a spade." [20:28-21:00]
