TLDR
- Alex Pereira lost his bid for a historic third UFC title when Ciryl Gane stopped him in round two at UFC Freedom 250
- Pereira claims multiple illegal strikes to the back of his head contributed to the stoppage and referee Herb Dean ignored them
- The fighter says he warned Dean about Gane’s history of questionable tactics before the fight during the rules meeting
- Joe Rogan admitted some shots were illegal but said the movement and chaos made it difficult for Gane to aim precisely
- Pereira has requested an immediate rematch and says Dean should face punishment for his refereeing
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com | mmafighting.com | complex.com
Alex Pereira has released his first statement since losing to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, and he’s not holding back against referee Herb Dean. The former two-division champion claims Dean failed to stop the fight when illegal strikes were landing, costing him a chance at history.
Pereira lost his bid to become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion when Gane stopped him in the second round on June 14 at the White House. The Brazilian fighter admits Gane dropped him with a legitimate jab, but says what happened next should never have been allowed.
“After the jab I dropped, I grabbed his legs,” Pereira said in an Instagram statement. “It was there, throwing elbows, punches, he’s desperate. He threw a shot he didn’t even believe in, and he wanted to finish the fight in whatever way.”
Pereira claims multiple strikes landed to the back of his head during the finishing sequence. He posted pictures on social media showing apparent lumps on the back of his head from the blows.
Dana White says Alex Pereira's claims about illegal shots carry weight because he doesn't makes excuses.
"It's undeniable that Alex got hit with some strikes to the back of the head. Alex Pereira is not a whiner, and Alex Pereira doesn't complain about things or make excuses… pic.twitter.com/6jc3zDJldu
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) June 21, 2026
Fighter Says He Warned Referee Before the Fight
What makes Pereira even angrier is that he specifically discussed this issue with Dean before the fight began. During the pre-fight rules meeting, Pereira used his coach Plinio Cruz to translate and warned Dean about Gane’s history.
“I told him, ‘Look, man, eye poke, groin strikes, those things can happen. It’s not supposed to, but it can happen. But this guy has a long history of it,'” Pereira explained. “Dirty shots, throwing punches to the back of the head, elbows. I saw some videos, so I was worried.”
Gane has faced questions about his tactics before. His previous fight against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 ended in a no-contest after an eye poke. Former UFC champion Junior dos Santos also accused Gane of illegal elbows to the back of the head in their December 2020 fight.
Pereira didn’t stop at criticism. He called Dean “not a man” and said the referee should face consequences for his work that night.
“A guy like that should be punished,” Pereira said. “That’s how it is. It’s a very serious job. It’s a very serious event. What happened, the ref should’ve faced legal consequences for that.”
Joe Rogan Weighs In on the Controversy
UFC commentator Joe Rogan discussed the finish on his podcast and acknowledged that some strikes were illegal. However, he gave Gane the benefit of the doubt due to the movement involved.
“A couple of those shots definitely landed illegally, but there’s also movement,” Rogan said on the Joe Rogan Experience. “It’s also movement and chaos. It’s not like he’s trying to deliberately.”
Rogan explained that the illegal zone is a two-inch line down the back of the head like a mohawk. He said many shots landed to the side of the head, which is legal.
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When asked if the back-of-the-head shots finished the fight, Rogan said no. “He caught him with a big elbow and rocked him,” Rogan said. “I mean Pereira was in real trouble. He got f*cked up, and Ciryl Gane did a fantastic job.”
Pereira believes he could have recovered if not for the illegal strikes. “I believe that if it wasn’t for those shots I’d be in that situation and could’ve possibly recovered,” he said. “Maybe not, but they were very hard shots and illegal.”
The fighter has already spoken to UFC management about his next move. He says he requested an immediate rematch with Gane rather than having Gane move on to fight Aspinall for the undisputed title.
“I said the right thing is an immediate rematch,” Pereira said. “I spoke to the organization, and they asked for some time to get an answer because so much was happening. The event had just happened.”
Despite the loss, Pereira says he doesn’t regret moving up to heavyweight. He said his strategy was working and he was executing the game plan before the controversial finish.
Pereira told fans he will return stronger and remains happy with his decision to chase history. “For those who know me, be certain in how I’ll return,” he said. “I’ll be back stronger, focused like always, dedicated like always.”
