Trash talking in the UFC is pure poetry, some might say.
But at what point does it become abusive?
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There's a rule in MMA that forbids abusive language in the cage, but Saturday's main card ref, Herb Dean, has his own take on what's acceptable and what's just plain wrong.
“I generally choose to let people talk trash,” Dean told MMA Junkie. “I think it’s fine. ... I mean, we’re watching people kick each other in the face, but we can’t say ‘(expletive) you’ every now and then?”
There have been a few interesting exchanges between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz leading up to UFC 196, from steroid accusations to dance requests, but Dean has heard some of the worst.
“One time that crossed a line with me was I refereed a fight, and the guy had a guy in a position to ground and pound, and like the whole time, he was saying, ‘Show me your face, bitch. Yeah, bitch. You like that? Don’t you hide from me,'” Dean said. “And it was abusive. It made me feel uncomfortable. It was like a weapon. I felt like, man, this guy is going to need therapy after this."