Herb Dean explains why he allowed Brian Ortega to continue fighting after round 3 at UFC 266

Brian Ortega sustained a great deal of damage in the third round of his championship fight with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266. What became a subject of controversy was referee Herb Dean's decision to allow him to continue fighting.

In a recent interview with Helen Yee Sports, Dean clarified why he let Ortega carry on with the fight even though 'T-City' failed to answer his calls articulately:

"Basically, at the end of the (third) round, it was exhaustion I think. He had given it his all. Then the physician comes in and medically clears him and says 'he's clear'. Some of his answers weren't exactly clear but then he looked at me and gave clear answers like 'yes, I can see. I want to continue' and you can see that he was ready to compete again, so we'll give him another chance... He got out there and did what he was supposed to do," said Dean.

Dean understands Brian Ortega had almost emptied his gas tank after the third round. However, the remaining one minute in between rounds helped him recover and gear up for the final ten minutes of the fight:

"(The fight was) definitely close to being stopped. At the end of the round, he was exhausted and he made it through the round. I think that a fighter has the right to make that decision after the rest period. He made it through the rest period. His problem was he was tired, so I think getting a minute of rest would be the best thing for him and he has the right to make that decision then," Dean concluded.

Watch Herb Dean's interview with Helen Yee Sports below:

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Brian Ortega vows to come back stronger after recovering from injuries

Brian Ortega has revealed he fractured his orbital bone in his five-round thriller with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266. He was also diagnosed with bruised ribs and endured several cuts to his face. The 30-year-old is confident he will come back with a vengeance after his injuries heal.

Brian Ortega has now lost two of his last three fights, which remain his only two career losses. Before Volkanovski, he tasted defeat at the hands of Max Holloway in 2018, which also left him with a slew of injuries.