The co-main event of UFC Freedom 250 between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane has sparked controversy for all the wrong reasons. Pereira’s bid to become the first fighter in history to win championships in three different weight classes came to an abrupt end when Gane stopped him in the second round. However, much of the post-fight discussion has focused on the sequence leading to the finish, with many questioning whether illegal strikes to the back of Pereira’s head contributed to the outcome.
In the aftermath, ‘Poatan’ directed his frustration toward referee Herb Dean, accusing him of failing to intervene and even calling on the UFC to prevent Dean from officiating any of his future fights. In a lengthy video, he said, “Something’s got to be done. But one thing I’ll tell you, I think his time is up. I think he already did enough, and just like on a regular 9-to-5, on a regular business, he’s been there for too long already, and now he’s starting to mess up. Maybe he shouldn’t be there anymore. Something’s got to be done so people don’t end up getting hurt because of him.”
He added, “To be honest, a guy like that should be punished. That’s how it is. It’s a very serious job. It’s a very serious event. What happened, the ref should’ve faced legal consequences for that. It’s a contact sport, but on the back of the head? You’re right there, man, you have to be seeing it. But that was the opportunity of a lifetime for him, and the referee was right there to see it.”
Pereira also revealed that he and his team had spoken with Dean and other officials before the fight, citing concerns about Gane’s previous conduct inside the cage. According to the Brazilian, those conversations ultimately made little difference once the fight began. He added, “If you watch the footage, multiple shots there, multiple elbows. OK, sure, the jab, but given everything that happened, illegal. I was getting up, it became difficult to recover, but I believe that if it wasn’t for those shots, I [wouldn’t] be in that situation and could’ve possibly recovered. Maybe not, but they were very hard shots and illegal.”
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Pereira later shared photos of the back of his head on social media, showing visible lumps that he claims were caused by the disputed strikes. Since then, he has continued to push for action against Dean and has even called for the veteran referee to be removed from officiating MMA bouts altogether. While Dana White addressed the controversy with a largely neutral stance, former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has publicly backed Pereira’s concerns, adding further weight to the growing debate surrounding the officiating at UFC Freedom 250.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the reigning featherweight champion weighed in on the controversy and explained why he believes Herb Dean should have stepped in much sooner. While Volkanovski stopped short of accusing Gane of intentionally targeting the back of Pereira’s head, he argued that Dean failed to properly warn the French heavyweight as the sequence unfolded.
He said, “This is going to happen. We’re fighters. You hurt someone, you go for the finish. This stuff’s going to happen because you’re trying to go for the finish, and you’re just, you know, you’re going for it. I’m not saying that he did it on purpose, but I felt like the refs, maybe, you know, Herb, you know, I love you, mate, but I feel like you should have been pretty vocal. ‘Watch the back of the head.”
Volkanovski recalled noticing several questionable strikes during the exchange and was surprised by the lack of intervention from the referee. He added, “I remember looking and seeing a couple of them, and he wasn’t. And I’m like, he’s not even telling him to watch the back of the head. I’m like, what’s going on here, type thing? But that’s how many shots to the back of the head were happening, that I would have seen a couple, then looked at the ref to see if he was even saying anything. Oh, he’s not even saying anything. Looking back, man, he’s still going.”
Alexander Volkanovski comes to Alex Pereira’s defense amid the recent back-of-the-head shots controversy
“Herb, I love you but you should have been pretty vocal… I don’t want to throw shade on people but there was a lot of back of the head shots.
If it was someone I didn’t… pic.twitter.com/xfhMmALu4o
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 23, 2026
The 145-pound champion believes a simple warning from Dean could have changed the course of the exchange. According to Volkanovski, Gane may have adjusted his attacks had the referee alerted him to the fouls. He also suggested that the disputed strikes may have played a role in preventing Pereira from fully recovering after being hurt.
He added, “I’m not taking it away from Gane. I feel like maybe if Herb was saying, ‘Watch the back of the head,’ he would have maybe thought, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize I was hitting him there,’ and maybe he would think, or he would try better to get around. Could there be a different outcome if you hurt Pereira? Probably not. But he was obviously doing the right stuff to recover. So he was on his way to recover until there were a lot of other shots.”
He concluded with, “And I explained where I thought those shots were landing. Then he was getting wobbled and wobbled. And you get direct contact on the brain like this, so that’s going to be hard to recover from. So it’s a tricky one, man. I don’t want to throw shade on people. But, I mean, there were a lot of shots to the back of the head. In that instance, we need to have conversations because that was pretty bad.”
For now, Pereira’s team is weighing the possibility of filing an appeal in an attempt to overturn the result. Whether that challenge ultimately materializes remains uncertain. White declined to speculate on the chances of a successful appeal, noting that such decisions fall outside his authority. However, the UFC CEO emphasized that Pereira’s concerns should not be brushed aside, given the Brazilian’s reputation for accepting both wins and losses without making excuses.
Pereira’s track record inside the Octagon also lends credibility to the argument that he may have been capable of recovering had the sequence played out differently. Throughout his UFC career, the former two-division champion has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to survive adversity and turn fights around.
One of the most notable examples came at UFC 281, when Israel Adesanya badly hurt Pereira in the opening round of their middleweight title clash. Despite the setback, Pereira weathered the storm and eventually secured a dramatic fifth-round stoppage victory. A similar scenario unfolded in his fight against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, where he absorbed several heavy shots late in the second round but recovered and continued competing at a high level.
As the debate surrounding the UFC Freedom 250 finish continues to intensify, Pereira has even hinted at walking away from the sport altogether. The Brazilian recently admitted that the incident has left him hesitant about stepping back into the cage, raising questions about his future and fueling speculation about a possible retirement. With prominent voices such as Volkanovski now joining the discussion and calls for greater accountability growing louder, attention will likely shift to how both the UFC and the athletic commission respond to the controversy in the weeks ahead.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.