Alex Pereira Sounds Off on UFC's 'Manipulated' Ciryl Gane-Josh Hokit Title Plans

The UFC 334 heavyweight championship main event was set after former titleholder Tom Aspinall vacated the belt due to serious medical complications from a severe eye injury. This opened the door for Ciryl Gane to be elevated to undisputed champion and booked against the undefeated Josh Hokit on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden.

However, former two-division champion Alex Pereira is raising flags about the matchup. He accused the UFC of using hidden polls, influencers, and analyst Daniel Cormier to artificially engineer hype for a fight that deliberately locks him out of the title picture.

Alex Pereira Says UFC Fabricated Metrics to Avoid Giving Him Rematch

The tension over the booking started when UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told Pereira that Hokit got the title shot instead of him. According to "Poatan," the brass attempted to justify bypassing him by pointing to public metrics that he claims never actually existed.

"At first, the UFC said they did a poll, which I didn't see, and that the public wanted it... I said OK," Pereira stated in an interview with MMA journalist Laerte Viana. "They are the ones in charge. It's all kind of manipulated."

Pereira alleged that the UFC actively shaped public perception behind the scenes. He claimed the front office coordinated with prominent, high-engagement media voices to praise the matchup before the official announcement dropped, ensuring the fanbase would easily accept the booking. 

Alex Pereira Steamed Over Daniel Cormier's Comments

Pereira also criticized UFC commentator Daniel Cormier for backing the matchup and questioned his logic after a private conversation. "When I spoke to Cormier, I asked him if I defeat Ciryl Gane, am I the champion? He said, 'I don't think so.' So the guy has opinions that don't make sense."

The bad blood stems from UFC Freedom 250, the historic card held at the White House. On that night, Gane stopped Pereira with a second-round TKO to win the interim belt. Pereira criticized the stoppage, claiming Gane landed illegal strikes to the back of his head and blaming referee Herb Dean for not deducting a point.

Meanwhile, Hokit built his own title case on that same June card. He scored a dominant second-round TKO over Derrick Lewis, pushing his perfect record to 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC since joining from the Contender Series in 2025.

Despite the UFC choosing the undefeated Hokit over him for the Nov. 14 Madison Square Garden date, the 39-year-old Pereira still has a direct path back to the top. He is scheduled to face Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round heavyweight co-main event at UFC 335.

If Pereira wins that bout, he will likely secure a title shot against the winner of the Gane vs. Hokit championship fight.