Alex Pereira has escalated his criticism of the UFC after his lopsided loss to Ciryl Gane at the White House event and the formal appeal he filed over the result of his title fight. The Brazilian star, known as Poatan, lost the main event in Washington, D.C., then complained that referee Herb Dean allowed Gane to strike him to the back of the head, which is illegal in combat sports.
In a new round of posts and stories on social media, Pereira took his frustration further and hinted at broader anger toward UFC leadership. He wrote, alongside a video criticizing Dean’s officiating, “Honestly, I’m afraid to go back to fighting with all this going on. I think I’ve already done my part.”
Dean also posted his own video explaining why he believed the calls were correct and why Pereira was complaining about nothing. That response appears to have further angered Pereira and also drew criticism toward the referee from others online.
The dispute comes after Pereira’s defeat at the historic Washington event on June 22, 2026, and his appeal remains part of the fallout from the championship bout.