Herb Dean Appointed Referee For Chris Weidman Vs. Anderson Silva II

The end of this month will bring possibly the biggest mixed martial arts bout of all time when UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman rematches former longtime champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva in the main event of UFC 168 from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Weidman took the belt from Silva in one of the strangest bouts to ever take place in the Octagon, flooring the showboating champion with a monstrous left hook in the second round of July’s UFC 162. Now Silva will be looking to prove that it was all a fluke.

And it looks like a familiar face will have the officiating of the bout in his hands. According to Sherdog, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced on Monday that referee Herb Dean has been assigned to the main event of UFC 168. Dean was the man who quickly stepped in to stop Weidman after “The Spider” was noticeably knocked out this summer.

There couldn’t be much of a better choice as referee than Dean, who has already presided over 63 Octagon bouts this year. Judging in MMA has obviously been a very hot topic as of late but there’s a very good chance that this bout won’t last the entire five rounds.

Along with Dean’s inclusion, the NSAC declared Junichiro Kamijo, Chris Lee and Patricia Morse-Jarman as judges of Weidman vs. Silva II. It’s an experienced team who should be a solid choice for deciding a huge fight. However, we all know you can never leave it in the hands of the judges.

The stage is set for the UFC’s biggest rematch and December 28 is rapidly approaching. Will Silva give his millions of fans a late Christmas present by regaining the belt that many feel is rightfully his? Or will Weidman keep his record spotless by defeating a legend for the second consecutive time?

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