Herb Dean doesn’t regret his controversial stoppage of Adriano Moraes vs. Phumi Nkuta on the Rousey vs. Carano undercard.
Before UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano in just 17 seconds, one of MMA’s biggest controversies of 2026 took place on the undercard.
Former ONE champion Adriano Moraes and undefeated star Phumi Nkuta helped kick things off on the Rousey vs. Carano undercard. Moraes made his first MMA appearance since parting ways with ONE earlier this year.
But it was Nkuta who made a name for himself in the early rounds, as he outpointed Moraes with impressive grappling and striking over the first 10 minutes. In the final seconds of Round 3, Moraes went for a last-second submission attempt, sinking in a rear-naked choke that put Nkuta out cold as the bell rang.
Moraes walked away with the win at 4:59 of Round 3, despite confusion over the timing of when Nkuta went unconscious. Referee Herb Dean, one of the veteran presences in the sport, explained his controversial decision after the event.
Herb Dean ‘certain’ he made the right call at end of Adriano Moraes/Phumi Nkuta
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dean defended his stoppage at Rousey vs. Carano.
Nkuta is fighting the hands as the bell rings and Moraes holds the choke for an extra second or two (or three) after the bell.
I think that the wrong call was made. pic.twitter.com/mV9MNQPBgU
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 17, 2026
“I’m certain that the right decision was made,” Dean said.
“[I was] definitely sure that he went unconscious before the bell — like, a fraction of a second before the bell — and then I went and stopped the fight. He held on for a fraction of a second past the bell… I don’t think it was egregious enough for me to disqualify him.
“Each fight is the most important fight of your career, and you have seconds to lock something in,” Dean continued. “Who knows where his mind was at? He’s fighting for everything, for his whole career, and giving it everything he’s got. Sometimes it takes a second for someone to realize it’s over.”
Nkuta’s manager filed a formal appeal of the result with the California State Athletic Commission. As of this writing, the result of his appeal is uncertain.
Do you agree with the Adriano Moraes vs. Phumi Nkuta stoppage? Let us know in the comments!