TLDR
- Alex Pereira lost to Ciryl Gane via second-round TKO at UFC Freedom 250
- Pereira blamed referee Herb Dean for missing illegal shots to the back of the head
- Many fans and fighters criticized Pereira for making excuses instead of accepting the loss
- Pereira responded by saying critics aren’t real fans and he’s blocking them on social media
- UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping called Pereira ‘a bit of a sore loser’ over the incident
Sources: yardbarker.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com | youtube.com
Alex Pereira is defending himself against fans who say he made excuses after losing to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. The former champion told critics they should unfollow him if they don’t like what he has to say.
Pereira suffered a second-round TKO loss to Gane in their interim heavyweight title fight. After the loss, he posted several videos and complaints on social media criticizing referee Herb Dean for allegedly missing illegal shots to the back of the head.
The protests didn’t go over well with fans and fellow fighters. Many people told Pereira to accept the loss and move on instead of blaming the officiating.
Pereira Dismisses Critics as Fake Fans
Pereira responded to the backlash by saying the people criticizing him aren’t his real supporters. “The people criticizing me for things I say aren’t my real fans,” he said. “They can stop following me; I don’t care.”
🚨 Alex Pereira just called out Ciryl Gane to a rematch, and says he's confident it's going to happen 👀
"I think the fight that makes sense is Ciryl Gane. That's the fight, I'm gonna work on that.
And from what I'm seeing, it's something that's going to happen."
(via… pic.twitter.com/VijwKFbhaf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 7, 2026
He went further, saying those critics should have stopped following him long ago. “When I do look, I’m deleting and blocking everyone,” Pereira explained. “I don’t change who I am. I’ve always answered people when they talk crap; I’ve always responded, and I’m not going to stop.”
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping weighed in on the controversy, saying Pereira didn’t handle the loss well. “He was a bit of a sore loser about it,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel.
Bisping acknowledged that Pereira is great for the sport and brings excitement to every fight. But he believes Pereira needs to accept that Gane simply won the fight.
What Happened in the Fight
“Alex Pereira took on Ciryl Gane and was soundly beaten in the second round, and I think we can all agree on that,” Bisping said. He admitted there might have been a couple shots to the back of the head but said Gane didn’t cheat.
Bisping described how Gane dropped Pereira with a jab and then landed elbows from the top position. Pereira got back up and showed heart, but Gane continued to dominate until the referee stopped the fight.
“Yeah, OK, there might have been a couple of back-of-the-head shots, and Ciryl Gane didn’t cheat,” Bisping explained. “He won impressively.”
Pereira had built a massive following after moving from kickboxing to MMA. He became famous for beating Israel Adesanya in kickboxing and then repeated the feat in the UFC to win the middleweight title.
His aggressive fighting style and frequent knockouts made him one of the UFC’s biggest stars. He fought often and always brought excitement to his matches.
The loss to Gane represents a setback for Pereira, who had moved up to heavyweight seeking new challenges. His record now stands at 13-4 in MMA overall and 10-3 in the UFC.
Gane’s record improved to 14-2 overall and 11-2 in the UFC with the victory. UFC president Dana White revealed that heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains injured, which could open the door for a rematch between Pereira and Gane.
Pereira has called for a rematch with Gane following the controversial loss. The UFC has not yet announced whether that fight will happen or when Pereira will return to the octagon.
