A former UFC light heavyweight champion believes Alex Pereira’s loss to Ciryl Gane on June 14 at the White House was “completely legitimate” despite Pereira alleging that Gane did not fairly win the bout.

Pereira, a former two-division UFC champion, vacated his 205-pound strap earlier this year and moved up to heavyweight in pursuit of three-division glory. However, on June 14, Gane stopped the Brazilian in Round 2 by TKO and captured the interim heavyweight gold.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 14: Alex Pereira of Brazil reacts after being defeated by Ciryl Gane of France in the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship bout during UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“Poatan” was knocked down in Round 2, and while he tried to survive by holding onto Gane’s leg, “Bon Gamin” rained down elbows and punches. When Pereira got back to his feet, Gane went for the final kill by unleashing nonstop elbows and punches that badly wobbled the former champ and prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight.

Check out the finish below:

Following the defeat, Pereira took aim at referee Herb Dean, alleging that Ciryl Gane landed illegal blows to the back of his head, yet Dean did not stop Gane or deduct a point, and allowed the bout to continue.

However, a UFC light heavyweight champion believes the stoppage to be fair.

Jan Blachowicz talks about Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane fight

Alex Pereira’s former opponent Jan Blachowicz opined that “Poatan” looked slow and heavy against Ciryl Gane, and although he loves Pereira as a fighter, the 39-year-old lost to Gane fair and square at UFC Freedom 250. During a recent sit-down with James Lynch, Blachowicz said that since Pereira was moving a lot, some shots by Gane could have landed on the back of Pereira’s head. The 43-year-old said:

“I like Alex a lot, but his loss against Ciryl was completely legitimate. He looked slow, not as sharp, and was beat that night. He’s still a top guy no matter the division.”

Check out Jan Blachowicz’s comments about Alex Pereira below:

Subham

Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.