Dana White has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Ciryl Gane’s win over Alex Pereira, acknowledging illegal strikes but standing by the reality of imperfect officiating.
Gane defeated Pereira at the UFC White House event to claim the interim heavyweight title, but the finish was marred by strikes to the back of Pereira’s head that led to the end of the fight. Pereira complained about the illegal shots and pointed to Gane’s history of illegal strikes and Herb Dean’s refereeing.
“I think every time anybody fights, the referee should be watching everything that happens,” Dana White said after UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi. “And I say it all the time, and I’ll say it again: no reffing anywhere is perfect. It could be an NBA game, it could be an NFL game, definitely some fights. It’s just never gonna be perfect.”
White also acknowledged the specific fouls in question, saying, “Well, I also think that if you watch the fight, it’s undeniable that he got hit with some strikes to the back of the head. But in the middle of the action, you know, when it’s going on and guys are rolling around trying to get out of it, sometimes some fouls happen, and maybe Dean should have said, ‘Hey, watch the back of the head,’ or, you know, warned him or something like that. But I don’t know.”
Pereira initially considered filing an appeal over the loss but later dropped the idea in favor of seeking an immediate rematch. White defended the former champion’s reaction, stating, “Alex Pereira is not a whiner, and Alex Pereira doesn’t complain about things or make excuses after fights. So I have to believe that he believed that -- that he truly believed that was true.”
Tom Aspinall was mentioned in relation to a previous illegal blow involving Gane as the debate over the finish continued.
