From stoic knockout artist to complainer: Pereira's image takes a hit

Former champion draws criticism over repeated grievances on judging, matchmaking

Cejudo says Pereira has grown accustomed to special treatment

Fans say he was more likable when he kept quiet

Alex Pereira, the former two-division UFC champion. [Getty Images]

Alex Pereira (39, Brazil), who built his popularity on a quiet demeanor and devastating punching power, has come under fire recently for a string of public complaints. Since losing to Ciryl Gane (36, France), the former UFC champion has openly challenged everything from the referee's decisions to title-fight matchmaking — and fellow former champions have begun calling him out for the shift in attitude.

Pereira's grievances began in earnest after he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Gane at UFC Freedom 250, held at the White House in June. He had been chasing history as a potential three-division UFC champion but fell short in his bid for the interim heavyweight title.

Immediately after the defeat, Pereira claimed Gane had struck the back of his head during the fight and demanded referee Herb Dean be barred from officiating any of his future bouts for failing to intervene. He also called for an immediate rematch.

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping criticized Pereira for refusing to accept the loss and airing grievances instead. Bisping acknowledged that losing is nothing to be ashamed of, but said repeatedly insisting he was fouled and continuing to complain was not a good look.

The controversy flared again recently when the UFC confirmed a heavyweight title fight between Gane and Josh Howkit (29, United States), passing over Pereira for the rematch he had requested.

Pereira went further, alleging that the UFC had used influential figures, including Daniel Cormier, to steer public opinion in favor of the Gane-Howkit bout through fan polling. Both Cormier and UFC CEO Dana White denied the allegations.

Bisping again criticized Pereira, pushing back on his YouTube channel against Pereira's argument that the Amanda Nunes-Kayla Harrison fight should have been placed in the main event over the Gane-Howkit heavyweight title bout. Bisping said a heavyweight title fight naturally belongs in the main event and advised Pereira to let go of the back-of-the-head controversy.

Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo also joined the criticism. On a recent episode of the "Pound for Pound" podcast, Cejudo said Pereira had grown accustomed to special treatment from the UFC.

While Cejudo agreed that Gane's strike to the back of the head was a foul, he said Pereira had jumped straight into an interim title fight in his heavyweight debut and would need to rack up two or three more wins before earning another shot at the title.

Alex Pereira works a punching machine at the Fanatics Fest NYC 2024 event held at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York in August 2024. [Getty Images]

Criticism has also mounted among international fans. On Tuesday, a comment on the UFC subreddit reading "Alex was so much more likable when he wasn't talking" drew hundreds of upvotes. Other fans piled on, with one writing "He should have just kept saying 'chama, chama' ('let's go') like before," and another saying "He couldn't even compete properly in his first heavyweight fight — get in line."

The controversy over Gane's strikes does leave room for interpretation. Andy Foster, executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, acknowledged that some blows did land on the back of Pereira's head, but said referee Herb Dean's decision not to stop the fight was appropriate.

Pereira is set to face Sergei Pavlovich (34, Russia) at UFC 335 in Las Vegas on Dec. 12. He will need a victory inside the octagon to work his way back into title contention after the loss to Gane.

However, the outlook does not favor Pereira. According to US sports betting platform DraftKings, Pavlovich is listed at -166 while Pereira sits at +140, making Pavlovich the favorite. Earlier opening odds from BetOnline also had Pavlovich at -130 and Pereira at +111.

yjc@heraldcorp.com