UFC Star Alex Pereira Sounds Off After Controversial Loss Ends Fighter's UFC Career

Former two-division UFC titleholder Alex Pereira has weighed-in on the promotion’s decision to part ways with his countryman Michel Pereira.

With many fans still processing last weekend’s UFC 329 card and the knee injury that brought a swift end to Conor McGregor’s return fight against Max Holloway, news broke yesterday that the UFC had opted not to re-sign Michel Pereira after his last loss.

The decision came following a difficult 1-4 run for the fan favorite, who most recently competed in the co-main event of UFC Baku and dropped unanimous decision to Shara Magomedov.

Alex Pereira Takes Aim at Officiating After Michel Pereira's UFC Exit

The fight at UFC Baku was marred by several fouls from Magomedov (including pulling Pereira's hair) that went unpunished, and Alex Pereira took Michel’s UFC exit as an opportunity to share his concerns about officiating and the significant effect it can have on the careers of fighters.

“They could have sent this guy earlier, and maybe it would have been acceptable, but paying such a high price because of a refereeing mistake is impossible to accept! The UFC has already done, and continues to do, everything I ask within the organization’s reach. But it’s sad to see this and not be upset. Many athletes don’t say anything, but tomorrow it could be you going through this kind of situation, and there will be no point in sending me a message asking for help. It’s sad that not even the UFC has control over this, and because of that, our sport keeps being tarnished. My kickboxing record is 40 fights: 33 wins and 7 losses. My MMA record is 16 fights: 13 wins and 3 losses. My Vale Tudo record is 1 fight and 1 loss.”

Michel Pereira Won 7 Post-Fight Bonuses During 16-Fight UFC Run

As noted in Alex’s post, the UFC’s decision to part ways with Michel didn’t come as a massive shock following his recent run of results.

Michel Pereira reacts after defeating Michal Oleksiejczuk (not shown) during UFC 299 at Kaseya Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Demolidor” won eight-straight fights between the welterweight and middleweight divisions from 2020 to mid-2024 before he was stopped by Anthony Hernandez in a UFC Fight Night main event, which kicked off what eventually turned into a three-fight skid.

Zachary Reese (red gloves) fights Michel Pereira (blue gloves) in a middleweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 32-year-old picked up a split decision win over Zach Reese in February to get back in the win column and briefly extend his UFC run, but he reportedly only signed a one-fight deal to take on Magomedov at UFC Baku.

Herb Dean Refereed Both Michel & Alex Pereira's Recent UFC Losses

The matchup between Michel and Magomedov was officiated by veteran referee Herb Dean, who was also in the cage for Alex’s most recent fight against Ciryl Gane.

Ciryl Gane (blue gloves) fights Alex Pereira (red gloves) during UFC Freedom 250 at White House South Lawn. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Competing in the co-main event for the UFC White House card, Pereira and Gane met to crown an interim UFC heavyweight champion while the promotion waits for Tom Aspinall to fully recover from the double-eye surgery he underwent after his own meeting with “Bon Gamin” at UFC 321.

Tom Aspinall's title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in the first round due to eye pokes. | (Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

A win at The White House have seen Pereira make promotional history and become the first UFC fighter to win titles in three different divisions, but the Brazilian ended up falling to Gane via TKO in the second round.

Ciryl Gane (blue gloves) checks on Alex Pereira (red gloves) after their fight during the UFC Freedom 250 at the White House South Lawn. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Poatan” criticized referee Dean in the aftermath of the event for not doing anything about punches that Gane allegedly landed to the back of Pereira’s head during the finishing sequence, and the former two-division UFC champion even briefly suggested that he might try to get the result overturned.

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