Xavier Franklin won’t be advancing to The Ultimate Fighter 34 tournament final and veteran referee Herb Dean has something to do with it.
The most recent episode of the UFC’s long-running reality series saw Franklin face off against Team Michael Bisping teammate Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu in a bantamweight semifinal bout. Akylbek Uulu used his wrestling to control much of the contest, but Franklin surged in the third and appeared to finish Akylbek Uulu with strikes with less than a minute remaining in the final round. Referee Herb Dean stepped in to wave off the bout, but Akylbek Uulu continued to complain of an eye poke, prompting Dean to go to vid
