Alex Pereira staying at heavyweight after UFC White House loss, claims he got hit by ‘lucky punch’

Alex Pereira has decided to remain at heavyweight following his interim title loss to Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House event on June 14, dismissing criticism of his performance as overlooking his overall resilience in the bout.

After losing to Gane, Pereira initially gave no clear answer about his future division but confirmed his heavyweight stay on Wednesday during a conversation with UFC fighter Renato Moicano. The Brazilian striker weighed in at 251 pounds—46.5 pounds heavier than eight months earlier when he reclaimed the light heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Magomed Ankalaev—and finished three pounds heavier than Gane on fight night.

Pereira attributed his loss to a "lucky punch," the jab that dropped him early in their clash. He claimed he remained composed and uninjured throughout, crediting his gameplan of reading Gane in the first round before escalating offense. He also criticized referee Herb Dean for allowing illegal strikes to the back of the head after the knockdown, stating he would refuse to fight if Dean referees his next bout and calling for the veteran official's removal by the athletic commission.

The former two-division champion says he requested an immediate rematch with Gane backstage but received no commitment from the UFC. Gane currently holds the interim belt and is set to face Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout in Paris in September. Pereira indicated he is cleared to fight, suffering no concussion or injuries, and remains focused on reclaiming the heavyweight title.