Brazilian mixed martial artist Alex Pereira has accused Frenchman Ciryl Gane of landing multiple illegal strikes during their interim UFC heavyweight title fight at the White House on Sunday. Gane won the bout via second-round TKO, but Pereira claims the victory was tainted by blows to the back of his head, which are prohibited under MMA rules.
In an Instagram video, Pereira said he struggled to recover from what he described as 'illegal shots' and criticised referee Herb Dean for failing to intervene. 'When the jab landed, I fell and grabbed his legs. Throwing elbows and punches, the guy was desperate. He landed a punch that he couldn't even believe, and then he wanted to end the fight no matter what,' Pereira stated in Portuguese.
Pereira also called on UFC chief executive Dana White to take disciplinary action against Dean, writing on Instagram: 'You should set an example with him as it's done with fighters when they ruin the image of the organisation.' The fight took place as part of a special UFC event on the White House South Lawn, celebrating Donald Trump's 80th birthday and the nation's 250th anniversary.
Dean later explained his decision not to stop the fight earlier, saying in a video that 'the rule we're talking about is the back of the head, and that's confusing because it's different in boxing.' The controversy has sparked debate among fans and analysts ahead of the highly anticipated Aspinall vs Gane heavyweight showdown.
