Alex Pereira (red gloves) reacts as Ciryl Gane touches his face after their fight during UFC Freedom 250 at White House South Lawn. | Photo Credit: AP

Mixed martial arts star Alex Pereira of Brazil has accused Frenchman Cyril Gane of landing multiple “illegal shots” during their fight for the interim UFC heavyweight title at the White House.

Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist. The referee then stopped the fight 1:27 into the round after a left to the chin.

After hitting Pereira with a jab, Gane launched a brutal floor sequence that included elbows to the back of the head.

READ: UFC Freedom 250: FBI disrupted attack plot on White House fight night

Pereira said on his social media it was difficult for him to recover from those “illegal shots".

“I believe that if it weren't for those shots, I’d be in that situation, and I could have possibly recovered,” he said. “Maybe not, but they were very hard shots and illegal.”

Pereira criticised referee Herb Dean, saying he should not have been picked for their fight. Dean explained his decisions in a video, saying, "The rule we’re talking about is the back of the head, and that’s confusing because it’s different in boxing.”

Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary with an unusual UFC show featuring seven fights within an eight-sided, wire-mesh cage on the White House South Lawn.

Published on Jun 17, 2026