Alex Pereira accuses UFC of manipulating fans to book Gane vs. Hokit
Beaten by Gane in June, the Brazilian says he never saw the poll the promotion cited and takes aim at Daniel Cormier.
Alex Pereira has accused the UFC of manipulating public opinion to justify the heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit, set for UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. In an interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, posted Monday on Viana’s YouTube channel, the Brazilian said he never saw the fan poll the promotion used to back the matchup, and he also took aim at former UFC champion Daniel Cormier.
The poll Pereira never saw
According to Pereira, the UFC said it had asked the fans and that the public wanted to see Gane against Hokit. “At first, the UFC said they did a poll, which I didn’t see, and that the public wanted it… I said OK,” he said, as quoted by Sherdog. Then came the heavier accusation: “It’s all kind of manipulated.”
The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion said he noticed a push before the official announcement. “I saw some things before they made the announcement, like Cormier and other people saying it would be a good fight,” he said. In his view, that prepared the ground. “When they release it, the public will already be comfortable with it because they will agree.”
In the reports that picked up the interview, there was no response from the UFC or from Cormier.
A message for Daniel Cormier
Pereira said he once asked Cormier about his own path to the belt. “When I spoke to Cormier, I asked him if I defeat Ciryl Gane, am I the champion? He said, ‘I don’t think so,’” Pereira recalled. His conclusion was blunt: “So the guy has opinions that don’t make sense.”
The frustration has context. Pereira moved up to heavyweight in 2026 chasing something no one had done before: competing for a UFC title in three weight classes. In his heavyweight debut on June 14, at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House grounds, he faced Gane for the interim belt and lost by TKO in the second round, at 1:27. In September, the Frenchman was promoted to undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the title, according to the UFC’s official website.
Pereira was hoping for an immediate rematch. Instead, the UFC picked Hokit, the No. 4 ranked heavyweight, who is unbeaten at 10-0. On the same UFC Freedom 250 card where Pereira lost, the American knocked out Derrick Lewis in the second round.
Rematch or unbeaten contender?
The case reopens an old debate in the UFC. On one side, Pereira has a long résumé: he was a champion in two divisions and, in October 2025, regained the light heavyweight title by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in the first round at UFC 320. On the other, he lost to Gane only four months ago, while Hokit arrives on a roll and without a loss on his record.
Away from the title picture, Pereira (13-4) will face Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It is the co-main event, ahead of the all-Brazilian headliner between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes. It will be Pereira’s second fight at heavyweight.
Gane is 14-2 with one no contest, against Aspinall himself in October 2025, after an accidental eye poke ended the fight. Hokit, who came through the Contender Series in 2025, has six wins by knockout, three by submission and one by decision.
Pereira has also shown there is more to his game than striking. VF Comunica broke down his black belt and his record on the ground in Is Poatan a Jiu-Jitsu black belt? Alex Pereira’s promotion and his record on the ground.
What do you think: did Pereira deserve an immediate rematch with Gane, or has Hokit earned his shot? Tell us in the comments.
