Former UFC star calls out ‘worst referee to ever exist’ for role in UFC 325 beating

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Benoit Saint-Denis delivered a punishing performance against Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 325 just under a week ago.

UFC 325 took place in Australia, with Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against Diego Lopes in the main event.

Saint-Denis and Hooker squared off in an entertaining co-main event that drew plenty of attention.

Although Hooker got off to a good start, he quickly found himself on the back foot, especially after Saint-Denis managed to take control on the mat.

Jorge Masvidal calls out Herb Dean’s refereeing in UFC 325 co-main event

Hooker’s struggles with grappling defence have been pointed out before, and there wasn’t much in his fight against ‘God of War’ to suggest anything had changed.

After Saint-Denis finished the job, Jorge Masvidal didn’t hold back, criticising referee Herb Dean for not stepping in sooner.

Saint-Denis landed a lot of unanswered shots before Dean finally called it off. By then, many felt Hooker had already taken more than enough punishment.

Masvidal certainly thought so, calling out Dean as “the worst referee ever” for how long he let the beating continue.

“Oh, who’s the referee? Let me guess, Herb Dean,” Masvidal said as he watched the beating unfold.

Dan Hooker’s history of tough fights

Hooker has been in the game for a long time, and he’s no stranger to taking serious punishment inside the Octagon.

Back in 2020, his five-round war with Dustin Poirier was considered one of the wildest fights in recent memory, though Hooker ended up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision that night.

And over two years later, Saint-Denis inflicted another damaging beating upon him. And there are more fighters who have left their mark on Hooker.

Poirier went on to become interim lightweight champion, and other top contenders like Edson Barboza and Michael Chandler have also handed out tough losses.

He came into UFC 325 after back-to-back defeats against Jalin Turner and Arnold Allen. Even with a run like that, he keeps stepping back into the cage, showing just how resilient he is. But even for someone as tough as Hooker, this latest loss adds to an already punishing stretch of fights.