UFC veteran Kevin Holland defends UFC referees amid growing criticism of officiating in mixed martial arts, urging fighters to spend less time blaming officials and more time accepting the realities of the sport.
Referee performances have become a hot topic in recent months, especially following the controversy surrounding Herb Dean’s stoppage in Alex Pereira’s loss to Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House event. While many fighters have questioned officiating standards, Holland believes criticism often goes too far.
Speaking recently, Holland made it clear that he has little sympathy for fighters who publicly complain about referees after a loss.
“I think we’re all thinking about the Alex Pereira situation,” Holland said. “I remember Jamahal Hill was crying about Herb Dean stepping in between them at UFC 300 and not giving them a proper reset. Nobody said anything about that. I think it’s just the same.
“We all know what we step in there to do, and they’re there to protect us. Sometimes they can protect us fully, and sometimes they can’t. At the end of the day, before the fight gets started, it says, ‘Protect yourself at all times,’ and we have to protect ourselves. It’s part of the game.”
Referees often find themselves under the microscope after controversial moments, but Holland believes fans and fighters frequently overlook the difficulty of the job.
The veteran welterweight pointed out that MMA moves at a relentless pace, making it impossible for officials to catch every infraction or make every decision perfectly.
Rather than focusing on what referees get wrong, Holland believes fighters should accept responsibility for their own performances.
“I signed up to be a fighter,” Holland said. “I try to be a fighter first and foremost. If there’s ever a situation where I can’t fight, hell, it beats me up more than anybody else.
“This is what we signed up to do. Win, lose, or draw, you signed up to do this. So just take what you get.”
Holland, who has competed in the UFC for nearly a decade, admitted he has been on the receiving end of fouls and questionable moments during fights. Even so, he has never felt the need to launch a public campaign against referees.
Instead, he believes athletes should focus on improving rather than dwelling on circumstances they cannot change.
“I’ve got two sons, I don’t have two daughters,” Holland said. “I don’t want my sons to grow up thinking it’s OK to cry and complain and bitch about stuff.There’s no reason to complain. Do better next time and figure it out. Man up.”
Interestingly, Holland has experienced both positive and frustrating moments with Herb Dean officiating his fights. Despite that, he continues to support the longtime referee.
“He was the ref in the Khamzat Chimaev fight—there were a lot of short grabs and a lot of weird stuff on the ground, but I never complained,” Holland said.”He’s been my ref other times too. There was that time I got the headbutt knockout, and he was sitting on the sidelines. We’ve had our good times, and we’ve had our bad times. It’s part of the game.
“He’s been doing this for a long time. Maybe there was a lot on his plate that night. Maybe there wasn’t enough on his plate and he was bored.”
Despite the criticism surrounding Dean in recent months, Holland has no interest in joining the pile-on.
“I ain’t got nothing to say against Herb. He’s an O.G. in the game. It is what it is,” Holland said. “They always tell you before the fight starts, don’t make the ref have to intervene in your fight. You’re probably not going to like what they have to say. We know what we’re getting ourselves into,” Holland said. “That’s what it all boils down to.”
