Alex Pereira backs Tom Aspinall’s stance against ‘dirty’ Ciryl Gane after UFC White House

Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira abandoned his usual stoicism in a fiery post-fight statement after UFC Freedom 250.

Ciryl Gane became a two-time interim UFC heavyweight titleholder by handing Alex Pereira the second TKO loss of his UFC career on Sunday at the White House. After fighting to a no-contest with Tom Aspinall at UFC 321, Gane spoiled Pereira’s heavyweight debut, battering the former two-division champion with nasty shots.

Gane secured a likely rematch against the undisputed champion, Aspinall, later this year. After calling out Aspinall for a rematch in Paris, Aspinall seemed to accept it, although it’s highly unlikely it’ll come to fruition in Gane’s home country.

Many fans took to social media after Gane’s win to point out several controversial moments in the short-lived UFC Freedom 250 co-main event. Most notably, Gane appeared to land several elbows to the back of Pereira’s head during the final seconds of the bout, but referee Herb Dean didn’t discipline him.

Pereira’s fans and followers have eagerly waited to hear from the UFC superstar in the hours after UFC Freedom 250. In his first post-fight statement on social media, Pereira broke his silence in a shockingly angry fashion.

Alex Pereira goes off on Ciryl Gane, Herb Dean after UFC Freedom 250 loss

In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Pereira went off on Gane and referee Herb Dean after UFC Freedom 250.

“It was a lucky jab, and he took advantage,” Pereira said of Gane.

“That was the opportunity of a lifetime for him. This guy [Gane] has a long history of it. Dirty shots, punches to the back of the head…I brought that up with [the referee] ahead of time and asked him to keep an eye on it. If you watch the footage of the fight, multiple shots, multiple elbows to the head.

“[The referee] isn’t a man,” Pereira continued. “He shouldn’t have been refereeing that fight. A guy like that should be punished. It’s a very serious job, a serious event…in Brazil, when you witness something like that, you can do something to stop it. And if you pretend not to, there are consequences for it.”

As of this writing, Gane hasn’t responded to Pereira’s harsh criticism. When asked about a potential return to light heavyweight after UFC Freedom 250 in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Pereira didn’t rule it out.

This is far from the first time that Gane has been accused of using illegal tactics to win. Aspinall labeled Gane a ‘cheater’ after several eye pokes led to the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion undergoing multiple eye surgeries.

Were you surprised by Alex Pereira’s loss to Ciryl Gane? Let us know in the comments!