TLDR
- Alex Pereira called Ciryl Gane ‘dirty’ after losing by TKO at UFC Freedom 250 in the second round
- Pereira claims Gane landed multiple illegal punches to the back of his head during the fight
- Referee Herb Dean did not warn Gane or deduct points during the interim heavyweight title bout
- Gane has faced similar accusations in past fights against Tom Aspinall and Junior dos Santos
- Pereira will not get an immediate rematch as Gane is set to face Aspinall for the undisputed title
Sources: Heavy.com | ESPN UK | Bloody Elbow
Alex Pereira has broken his silence after his knockout loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, accusing the Frenchman of landing illegal strikes during their interim heavyweight title fight. The former champion posted a video on his YouTube channel two days after the fight, calling Gane a “dirty” fighter.
Gane knocked out Pereira in the second round of their bout at the White House. After Pereira controlled much of the first round with his striking, Gane dropped him with a jab early in the second round.
While Pereira was on the ground, Gane followed up with multiple punches. Several of these strikes appeared to land on the back of Pereira’s head, which is illegal under UFC rules.
Referee Herb Dean did not stop the action or warn Gane about the placement of his strikes. Pereira managed to get back to his feet but was finished shortly after by more punches from Gane.
🚨 Alex Pereira just called out Ciryl Gane for several illegal shots to the back of the head during their fight 😳
“It was a lucky jab and he took advantage… that was the opportunity of a lifetime for him. This guy has a long history of it. Dirty shots, punches to the back of… pic.twitter.com/mmh15xShxq
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 16, 2026
Pereira Questions Referee and Gane’s History
In his YouTube video, Pereira disputed the legitimacy of the finish. “It was a lucky jab and he took advantage… that was the opportunity of a lifetime for him,” Pereira said.
“This guy has a long history of it. Dirty shots, punches to the back of the head,” Pereira continued. He claimed he warned the referee before the fight to watch for this issue.
Pereira also criticized Dean’s performance. “If you watch the footage man, multiple shots, multiple elbows (to the back of the head). (The referee) is not a man. He shouldn’t have been refereeing that fight,” he said.
Pereira later showed off marks on the back of his head in photos posted to social media. The images appeared to support his claims about where the strikes landed.
This is not the first time Gane has faced accusations of illegal strikes. In a fight against Tom Aspinall last year at UFC 321, Gane poked Aspinall in the eye, resulting in a No Contest.
In 2020, Gane appeared to land an illegal elbow to the back of Junior dos Santos’ head before finishing him by TKO. Dos Santos appealed the outcome but the result stood as a knockout win for Gane.
No Immediate Rematch Despite Protests
Despite Pereira’s complaints, he will not receive an immediate rematch with Gane. The new interim heavyweight champion is set to face Tom Aspinall next for the undisputed UFC heavyweight title.
Gane has called for the fight to take place in Paris in September. Aspinall has already accepted the challenge for the grudge match.
Pereira now faces a decision about his fighting future. He could choose to remain at heavyweight or drop back down to light heavyweight, where he previously held the title.
If he stays at heavyweight, a matchup against Josh Hokit could be possible. If he returns to light heavyweight, he might get an immediate title shot against new champion Carlos Ulberg.
The loss to Gane will stand on Pereira’s record regardless of his protests. UFC officials have not indicated any plans to review the result or take action based on Pereira’s accusations.
