WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 14: Ciryl Gane of France strikes Alex Pereira of Brazil within the UFC interim heavyweight championship combat throughout the UFC Freedom 250 occasion on the South Garden on the White Home on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photograph by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
Ciryl Gane fought fantastically en path to his second-round TKO win over Alex Pereira on Sunday evening in Washington, D.C. on the White Home. Nevertheless, whereas Gane legitimately dropped Pereira with an influence jab, the following end got here after as many as 11 unlawful blows to the again of the Brazilian’s head.
I acknowledged this in actual time as I watched the combat and it drew an audible response from me in my workplace. Hours after the explosive co-main occasion, Home of Fight took to X to name out Gane’s controversial end with video proof.
Key Info At A Look
- Consequence: Ciryl Gane def. Alex Pereira, second-round TKO (1:27) for the interim heavyweight title
- Occasion: UFC Freedom 250, White Home South Garden, June 14, 2026
- Controversy: Repeated back-of-the-head photographs within the ending sequence (as many as 11 by some counts), that are unlawful in MMA
- Referee: Herb Dean
- What’s Subsequent: Gane strikes towards a Tom Aspinall unification; Pereira’s three-division bid denied
Would Gane Have Gained With out the Unlawful Pictures?
Nobody can say for certain, however primarily based on the best way the combat was going, it appears secure to counsel he was headed towards a victory. Gane appeared faster and extra snug within the combat. In any case, he dropped Pereira with a stiff jab to arrange the sequence on the bottom. That stated, it is powerful to disregard how disoriented Pereira was after consuming so many photographs to the again of his head.
Keep in mind, Khalil Rountree Jr. dropped Pereira too. He acquired to his ft towards Gane, too. With out the back-of-the-head photographs, Pereira could properly have recovered and made a combat of it, the best way he did towards Rountree.
How Widespread is This When a Fighter is Going for a End?
Let’s not freak out and behave as if that is the one time a fighter has landed photographs to the again of the top whereas chasing a end. What usually occurs is a referee will intervene with some type of verbal warning. That is the place referee Herb Dean dropped the ball.
In the event you watch him and pay attention throughout the sequence, at no time does he say, “watch the again of the top,” or ship any command to right Gane’s assaults. Dean is extra responsible right here than Gane who now has two fights in a row the place unlawful actions have grow to be a serious post-fight dialogue. Gane fought UFC champion Tom Aspinall to a no contest after double-eye poking the Brit and forcing an finish to the combat.
How Did Fighters And Followers React To The End?
American heavyweight Josh Hokit, who scored a TKO win over Derrick Lewis on the cardboard, critiqued Pereira’s heavyweight transfer and in addition flagged the back-of-the-head photographs. Whereas different fighters could have shared an identical sentiment, nobody gave off the impression they believed Pereira acquired robbed.
Even Aspinall took to his personal YouTube channel name out Gane’s unlawful blows in his response to the outcome.
The web response ran hotter, with loads of followers echoing the foul complaints and others arguing the end was inevitable as soon as that clear jab landed.
Even former rival Jon Jones publicly congratulated Gane on the win, a reminder that for a lot of the outcome was by no means actually unsure.
What’s Subsequent For Ciryl Gane And Alex Pereira?
The one combat that is smart for Gane is a rematch with Aspinall for the undisputed heavyweight crown. Gane was getting the higher of Aspinall earlier than the attention pokes and now there’s much more legitimacy to the construct. As for Pereira, a matchup with Hokit will do main numbers for the UFC. Hokit is a controversial, WWE-like character, however he is powerful and athletic.
He’s the No. 5 heavyweight in the UFC and it is a combat the American desires. Nevertheless, it is unclear if Pereira desires the combat. I asked Pereira about Hokit per week earlier than UFC Freedom 250 and he declined to debate the brash American. Hokit has pelted Pereira with sophomoric insults and taunts and the latter has chosen to disregard him. We’ll see if the loss to Gane makes that unattainable.
