Alex Pereira has taken aim at Ciryl Gane again, this time over social media. The former two-division champion questions why the UFC is headlining UFC 334 with Gane’s heavyweight title defense against Josh Hokit instead of the women’s bantamweight title fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes.
Pereira’s Comments on Social Media
On October 9, 2026, Alex Pereira posted the UFC 334 poster to his Instagram story. He wrote, “Why the Women’s Fight is not the Main Event? Okay, let me help promote this cause no one is paying attention to it.” The post was picked up the same day by Championship Rounds on X, and it quickly spread among fans and media debating how the promotion built the card.
A Disputed Fight at the White House
The rivalry dates back to June 14, 2026, when Gane and Pereira fought for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250, held on the South Lawn of the White House as part of Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Pereira was trying to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in three different weight classes. Gane stopped him by TKO in the second round, closing the fight with a ground sequence that included elbows to the back of Pereira’s head.
Pereira called the strikes illegal in a video statement recorded in Portuguese: “I think if it weren’t for those punches, I wouldn’t be in that situation.” He also criticized referee Herb Dean, saying Dean should never have been assigned to the fight and that he deserved to be punished for not stepping in. Dean defended his call in a video of his own, explaining that the rule on strikes to the back of the head is confusing because it differs from boxing, and that only blows to the nape of the neck are illegal. It was not the first time Gane faced this kind of criticism. His fight with Tom Aspinall ended in a no-contest at UFC 321 in October 2025 after a double eye poke, and he was previously criticized for elbows to the back of Junior Dos Santos’s head in a 2020 bout.
Hokit Is Stirring the Pot Too
Josh Hokit has added his own fuel to the rivalry. On October 8, 2026, he posted on X claiming that Jake Paul, Ciryl Gane, and Alex Pereira all refused to fight him, in either boxing or MMA, and that Gane only agreed to the UFC 334 fight because he had no other choice. Several observers read the post as the unbeaten American inserting himself into a rivalry that otherwise had nothing to do with him.
Gane Defends His Undisputed Title Against Hokit
After Tom Aspinall vacated the heavyweight title, Ciryl Gane, who holds a 14-2 record, became the undisputed champion. A rematch with Pereira was widely expected for his first defense, but the title shot instead went to Josh Hokit. The American enters the fight undefeated at 10-0, including a 4-0 mark in the UFC since joining the promotion through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025, with three finishes in that stretch.
UFC 334 takes place November 14, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York. In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, a former PFL champion on a four-fight win streak that includes victories over Holly Holm, Ketlen Vieira, and Aspen Ladd, faces Amanda Nunes. Widely regarded as the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history, Nunes returns to competition after announcing her retirement in 2023 following a win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289.
Pereira’s Next Step at UFC 335
Before any rematch with Gane can be discussed, Pereira has to get past Sergei Pavlovich. The two meet in the co-main event of UFC 335 on December 12, 2026, in Las Vegas, with a spot among the heavyweight division’s top three contenders on the line for the winner. A victory could position him as the next heavyweight title challenger, with a future matchup against the winner of Gane vs. Hokit in play.
For now, Pereira’s comments keep the rivalry with the French champion in the headlines, and Gane has not publicly responded to the latest criticism. The UFC has not commented on its main event choice for UFC 334 either.
