UFC ref Herb Dean says he spoke with fellow ref "Big" John McCarthy after he was kicked in the Octagon by Roy "Big Country" Nelson ... and says there's a damn good reason he didn't fight back.
Nelson went after McCarthy after knocking out "Bigfoot" Silva at UFC Fight Night Brasilia on Saturday -- because he claimed the ref took too long to stop the fight.
FYI, Nelson and Silva are friends outside the Octagon -- and Nelson claimed McCarthy put Silva's health in danger by not stopping the fight as soon as he knocked him down.