Herb Dean defends controversial stoppage at MVP 'Rousey vs. Carano'

Herb Dean has defended his stoppage of the bantamweight bout between Phumi Nkuta and Adriano Moraes at Most Valuable Promotions' "Rousey vs. Carano" event in Los Angeles last weekend. The fight was competitive through much of the action, with Nkuta appearing to edge ahead as the final round progressed. With just 10 seconds remaining, Moraes caught Nkuta in a guillotine choke. Nkuta fought to survive until the bell, but Moraes maintained the choke for several moments after the final horn despite Dean's intervention. Nkuta was rendered unconscious, and Dean ultimately declared it a submission victory for Moraes after reviewing the sequence. The stoppage sparked significant backlash from fans and analysts online, though Dean has since reaffirmed that he made the correct call, believing the finish was legitimate regardless of the controversial timing.