Video: Dan Hardy bursts into Herb Dean in mid-air for late stops

Fight Island in Abu Dhabi has earned a reputation for being much tougher than its average mixed martial arts location. While New York will stop a fight the moment a wrestler starts to look wobbly or a cut appears anywhere near an eye, Fight Island has put on several bouts where the umpires just drop things five, ten more, hell, Why not twenty more hits than they are? should.

The best example of this is the finale of Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo, which featured Yan wailing for over a minute. Last Saturday’s fights on UFC Fight Island 3 weren’t that horrible but bad enough in their own way, and both featured noted referee Herb Dean taking a few extra seconds to step in and save a fallen fighter. In the preliminaries, Tanner Boser hit Raphael Pessoa with a knuckle in the eye that dropped Pessoa. Pessoa then received several unnecessary blows to the face before Dean intervened.

However, the really bad one was the main event of the preliminary card between Francisco Trinaldo and Jai Herbert. Trinaldo smoked Herbert with a huge left hand that knocked him down like a tree. Herbert stood still and hit the canvas hard, but since his arm was still in the air, Herb must have thought that he was still somewhat conscious. If it was, it wasn’t after Trinaldo stood over him for a few seconds waiting for the fight to stop before forcing Dean with four pistons straight to Herbert’s face.

Commentator Dan Hardy was unhappy with that, shouting “Stop the fight! That’s twice now!

BT Sport caught another angle of the comment booth clearly unhappy with Dean’s efforts, or lack thereof.

Not caught on video camera (but audible on broadcast) was Hardy going to punish Dean after his second slow stoppage of the night.

Photo by Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

“I’m doing my job, now you do yours!” an agitated Hardy said to Dean. “I have to take care of these fighters! OMG!”

After the event, Paul Felder tossed his two pennies during the post-fight show.

“Your job is to protect the fighter and if the fighter is out,” Felder said. I don’t care if there’s a second left on the watch, if it’s knocked out and stiff. Look at that fight again and look at his hands and where he is. Just because you’re doing this stiff doesn’t mean you’re defending punches. If Trinaldo can stand you being the terrifying man he is for a good three seconds without taking a hit and you don’t move? You are out.”

“He’s really fighting back,” Felder said sarcastically as the replay aired. “He is really struggling in his life here. He ate shots that he didn’t have to eat. “

Some agreed with Hardy and Felder expressing disapproval …

And some did not.

What do you think, maniacs? Dean giving fighters a chance to get out of bad positions, or just grumbling?