PEREIRA Calls GANE vs HOKIT "MANIPULATED" — CORMIER Named
“It's all kind of manipulated.”
Alex Pereira says he never saw the fan poll the UFC cited for Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit, and he believes big voices were used to sell the fight.
"It's all kind of manipulated."
Alex Pereira said that in a fresh interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, published on October 12. He was talking about how Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit became the heavyweight title fight instead of a fight for him.
That claim matters now because Pereira is not a fringe voice. He is one of the biggest stars in the sport, and he is publicly questioning how a title fight was made.
Why It Matters Now
Pereira said he still expected to be put in the title picture when he released his video. Then, he said, the promotion told him it had done research.
He said the research showed fans wanted Gane vs Hokit. Pereira said he never saw that poll, even though he follows the conversation closely.
"It's all kind of manipulated." — Alex Pereira
The Cormier Question
Pereira pointed to comments made before the announcement. He named Daniel Cormier and other people with large audiences.
His argument was simple. If trusted voices call a fight good before it is announced, fans are already comfortable with it when the news drops.
Pereira also said Cormier had told him a win over Gane would not by itself make him champion. He said he would have needed another win. That answer, to Pereira, did not line up with later support for Gane vs Hokit.
These are Pereira's claims. The interview includes no UFC response, and no poll was shown in the report.
What Is Confirmed
What is confirmed is narrower, and it is still big. Pereira publicly disputed the promotion's explanation on the record.
He did not prove the UFC directed anyone's comments. He said what he believed happened, and he said it with his name attached.
That alone puts pressure on the heavyweight picture. A star of his size does not use a word like manipulated by accident.
His Own Road
Pereira still has his own fight to win. He is scheduled to face Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12.
A win there puts him right back in the title conversation. A loss makes this interview much easier for the promotion to ignore.
So here is the real question. If Pereira beats Pavlovich, does the UFC still tell him the fans want somebody else?
