Alex Pereira isn’t letting his controversial loss to Ciryl Gane slide.
Less than a week after suffering defeat at UFC Freedom 250, the Brazilian superstar has revealed he intends to appeal the result, alleging Gane landed illegal strikes during the fight.
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During the finishing sequence in Round 2, Gane appeared to connect with multiple elbows to the side and back of Pereira’s head before the bout was waved off.
Now, “Poatan” says he and his team are exploring legal avenues in an attempt to have the result reviewed, arguing the strikes played a decisive role in the fight’s outcome.
“I had a long conversation with my manager last night,” Pereira told MMA Junkie.
“We are going to pursue this legally. We’re going to talk to our lawyers. The bill is going to come from some people.”
Pereira says it’s not just about overturning the result, but also about fighter safety.
“I might fight for some time. We don’t know how long. Eventually, I’m going to retire,” he said.
“I am speaking for the new generation. This can end up really bad.”
In support of his claims, Pereira uploaded photos to social media showing noticeable bumps on the back of his head after the fight.
POATAN SLAMS HERB DEAN
In a separate statement on his YouTube channel, Pereira took the big stick to referee Herb Dean.
“Putting myself in the referee’s shoes, my opponent’s there and catches me, I drop, he starts striking,” Pereira said.
“The ref is watching that they are illegal shots, but he thinks like this, ‘How am I going to stop this fight?’ It’s illegal, it’s in the rules. You’re not going to be wrong if you stop it. It’s in the rules; you stop it.
“If people say, ‘Why did you stop it?’ Look at the video; nobody was going to say anything about the ref. In that scenario, people give him credit as a man.
“But now he is not a man. He shouldn’t have been refereeing that fight. To be honest, a guy like that should be punished. 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.”
DEAN DEFENDS DECISION
While Pereira has questioned the legality of the finishing sequence, referee Herb Dean has stood by his handling of the fight.
In a very rare public explanation of a ref’s decision, Dean released a video breakdown detailing why he believed Gane’s strikes were legal.
“The rule we’re talking about is the back of the head and that’s confusing because it’s different than boxing,” Dean said.
“The way we enforce this rule is we focus on the nape of the neck. I guess that’s really what the rule should be called.
“The nape of the neck occipital junction also covers the spine and covers a line right here with one-inch variance to either side, right here.
“So, this is what we go over in a rules meeting. I’ll let them know that this area is about off-limits. This area is a fair blow.”
CONTROVERSY FOLLOWS GANE
Pereira’s complaints have also reignited discussion around Gane’s history inside the Octagon, with the Frenchman having previously come under fire for several controversial moments over the years.
Most notably, Gane’s most recent stoush against Tom Aspinall was ruled a no-contest after he poked the heavyweight champion in both eyes.
The Frenchman also came under fire in 2020 after appearing to land strikes to the back of former UFC champion Junior Dos Santos’ head during their heavyweight clash.
Pereira revealed he even raised concerns about Gane’s track record during the pre-fight rules meeting.
“He always does that, multiple fights, if you look at his highlights, that’s what you’ll see all the time. I was being very careful about that,” he said.
“Finger in the eye, kick to the groin, that there isn’t supposed to happen, but it does.
“Even I could potentially do that, but not because I meant to.
“It’s a contact sport, but on the back of the head? You’re right there, man, you have to be seeing it.
“But that was the opportunity of a lifetime for him, and the referee was right there to see it. The day before the fight, we had a rules meeting.
“I asked [coach] Plinio [Cruz] to translate for him, and 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.”
RUN IT BACK
While Gane appears destined for a blockbuster showdown with Tom Aspinall, Pereira believes the only fair outcome is an immediate rematch.
The Brazilian revealed he has already spoken with the UFC about the controversial finish and is awaiting a decision on what’s next.
“I spoke to the organization, and they asked for some time to get an answer because so much was happening,” he said.
“They are going to see what they are going to do. I’m going to wait a bit, but very soon, we will have an answer.”
Regardless of the outcome, Pereira insists his future remains at heavyweight, dismissing suggestions he may return to light heavyweight after some fight fans questioned his speed against Gane.
“[I’ll stay at] heavyweight, and I’m definitely focused on the title,” Pereira said.
“In that fight, that lucky punch – I’d call it a lucky punch, [Gane] closed his eyes when he threw the jab. But I’m definitely going after the belt. He has the belt now.
“I don’t know if Aspinall is coming back or when he’s coming back. It seems like he already said something about it.”