TLDR
- Alex Pereira claims he was hit with illegal shots to the back of the head during his second-round knockout loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250
- Dana White says Pereira is not a whiner and believes the fighter has legitimate concerns about the refereeing
- Former champions Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz have criticized Herb Dean, saying fighters lose money while referees face no consequences
- Veteran referee John McCarthy says none of the shots were illegal and defends Dean’s handling of the fight
- Pereira has called for Dean to retire from the sport and his team has considered filing an appeal over the result
Sources: mmafighting.com | lowkickmma.com | sports.yahoo.com
UFC CEO Dana White has defended Alex Pereira following the Brazilian fighter’s complaints about illegal strikes in his loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. The controversial second-round stoppage at the White House on June 14, 2026 cost Pereira his chance to become the first three-division champion in UFC history.
Pereira claims referee Herb Dean failed to stop or punish Gane for landing multiple punches and elbows to the back of his head during the finishing sequence. The former two-division champion has publicly criticized Dean and called for him to retire from refereeing.
White acknowledged that some strikes appeared to land illegally during the frantic exchange. “I think every time everybody fights, the referee should be watching everything that happens,” White told reporters after UFC Vegas 119.
“It’s undeniable he got hit with some strikes to the back of the head but in the middle of the action when guys are rolling around, trying to get out of it, sometimes some fouls happen,” White said. He added that Dean perhaps should have warned Gane about the strikes.
White emphasized that Pereira is not making excuses. “Alex Pereira is not a whiner,” White said. “Alex Pereira doesn’t complain about things or make excuses after fights. I have to believe that he believed that. That he truly believed that was true.”
Anybody remember the Herb Dean stoppage during the Ben Askren and Robbie Lawler fight? pic.twitter.com/s0aTkfNFym
— SleeperKO (@SleeperKO) June 30, 2026
Former Champions Criticize Officiating
Several former UFC champions have spoken out in support of Pereira. Henry Cejudo, the former flyweight and bantamweight champion, directly called out Dean on social media.
“Herb Dean, if you’re about it bro, make a decision. Take a point, people have lost an eye, people are losing pay checks dude, and you’re out there getting a standard pay,” Cejudo said.
Dominick Cruz tied Pereira’s situation to his own frustrations with officiating. On his “Love & War with Dominick Cruz” show, Cruz questioned why a doctor appeared in material defending Dean’s call without addressing the damage Pereira reported.
“As fighters, we get shafted and nobody’s defending us in these situations. But everybody’s defending the commission,” Cruz said. “The referees, they don’t lose half their money. I feel you Pereira. Welcome to the club.”
Cruz referenced his own 2020 title fight against Cejudo, when he argued that referee Keith Peterson stopped the bout too early. He said fighters lose money and career opportunities when officials make mistakes, while referees face no public penalties.
The controversy gained more attention when Andre Fili complained about similar back-of-head strikes at UFC Vegas 119 less than a week later. Dean was also the referee for that fight, which ended with Fili losing to Vinicius Oliveira.
Big John McCarthy Defends Dean’s Decision
Veteran referee John McCarthy offered a different perspective on the controversy. Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on June 30, McCarthy said none of the strikes were illegal.
“Not one of those was an illegal shot,” McCarthy said. He explained that the illegal back-of-head zone is limited to a narrow strip, not the entire back of the head as many fans believe.
McCarthy said the unified rules define the back of the head starting at the crown and going down a two-inch strip. Strikes to the sides and top of the head are legal in MMA, unlike in boxing.
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“MMA is a 360-degree sport,” McCarthy explained. He said Dean and other referees try not to interfere with fights unless absolutely necessary.
McCarthy acknowledged that Dean could sometimes take points more often but defended his friend’s overall approach. “The greatest fight I can have is a fight where someone goes, ‘Who was the referee of that one?'” McCarthy said.
Pereira and his team have considered filing an appeal over the result. White said that decision rests with the athletic commission overseeing the event, not the UFC.
