Daniel Cormier Fires Back After Alex Pereira Questions His Role in Ciryl Gane-Josh Hokit Fight

Ciryl Gane is set to defend his UFC Heavyweight Championship against Josh Hokit on Nov. 14 at UFC 334 in Madison Square Garden. The promotion originally hoped to book a highly anticipated showdown between Gane and former champion Tom Aspinall, but the matchup collapsed after Aspinall had to vacate the belt due to serious medical complications from a severe eye injury.

The new booking has already drawn criticism from former two-division champion Alex Pereira, who accused the UFC of using figures like Daniel Cormier to artificially engineer hype for the main event showdown. Cormier wasted no time firing back, denying that the promotion feeds him talking points. 

Daniel Cormier Rejects Alex Pereira's Strong Claim 

Speaking to his followers on YouTube, the Hall of Famer addressed Pereira's strong claim that led to endless chatter online. Cormier admitted the allegations confused him, but he made it clear that he still considers Pereira a friend and that the UFC never tells him what to say on television.

"I was not told by the UFC to promote this as the fight to happen," Cormier said. "I will tell you why I think that was the fight to happen, after some fact-checking. … Again, I have nothing against Alex Pereira. If anything, I consider him a buddy of mine."

Cormier, who retired with a 22-3 record and has advocated for Pereira’s rise, also denied that he downplayed Pereira's chances of becoming a champion. He played the original interview from before UFC Freedom 250, where Pereira asked through translator Plinio Cruz if beating Gane would make him the greatest of all time (GOAT). Cormier explained that a language barrier caused the misunderstanding.

"I didn't say he wouldn't be the champ; I said he wouldn't be the GOAT, yet," Cormier explained. "I also said, of course, if he beats Ciryl Gane, he'd be the champion. But I also think that could just be a miscommunication. We don't talk the same language, all those things."

Pereira’s frustration stems from his loss to Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Following the fight, the former champion demanded an immediate rematch, arguing that Gane landed illegal strikes to the back of his head during the finish. Gane denied the claims, but “Poatan” stood by his accusations.

Instead of booking a rematch, the UFC scheduled Gane to defend his title against Hokit. Pereira was then booked to face No. 2-ranked heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round co-main event at UFC 334, with a title shot on the line. Oddsmakers favor the established heavyweight, positioning Pavlovich as a -166 favorite over Pereira at +140.