Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has addressed recent comments made by Alex Pereira, suggesting that a significant miscommunication and potential language barrier are at the heart of a burgeoning tension between the two fighting veterans. Cormier spoke out on his official YouTube channel following a public critique from Pereira, who earlier in the week took aim at both the UFC matchmaking process and media personalities or influencers—including Cormier—whom he accused of pushing narratives to benefit the upcoming heavyweight title schedule.
The friction originates from the upcoming heavyweight title bout scheduled for next month at UFC 334 in Madison Square Garden, where reigning champion Ciryl Gane is set to defend his belt against Josh Hokit. The matchup has been a source of frustration for Pereira, affectionately known to fans as “Poatan.” Following a loss to Gane earlier this year at the high-profile UFC White House card, Pereira had actively lobbied for an immediate rematch. Displeased with the direction of the division, Pereira publicly criticized the booking of Gane versus Hokit and pointed fingers at media figures like Cormier, alleging they were used by the promotion to manipulate public opinion and push for the Gane-Hokit matchup over his own championship aspirations.
Taking to his YouTube platform on Tuesday, Cormier firmly rejected the accusation that he was acting as a mouthpiece for the organization or being directed on what opinions to voice. Addressing Pereira directly, Cormier expressed bewilderment at the accusations, emphasizing the mutual respect and professional rapport they have built over the five years Pereira has competed inside the UFC.
“Alex Pereira is one of the best fighters we have seen in a very long time,” Cormier stated in his video response. “Alex Pereira is a middleweight champion, a light heavyweight champion, and a guy that now fights in the heavyweight division. Alex Pereira and I have built a relationship over the past five years that he’s been here. I believe that it’s a great relationship, and I believe that it’s a friendship.”
Despite viewing Pereira as a personal friend and professional peer, Cormier admitted that he was taken aback when his team brought him transcripts of Pereira’s recent interview. While acknowledging that Pereira’s grievances regarding the Gane-Hokit booking were central to his frustrations, Cormier clarified that his support for the matchup was based on his own analysis and fact-checking of the heavyweight division’s landscape, rather than any external directives from the promotion. He reiterated that he holds no ill will toward the Brazilian star and values the interactions they have shared throughout Pereira’s rapid ascent through multiple weight classes.
Beyond the matchmaking controversy surrounding UFC 334, Pereira’s grievances also touched upon a personal interaction he claimed to have had with Cormier regarding his legacy. According to Pereira, Cormier had told him that he would not be considered the greatest of all time (GOAT) even if he had successfully defeated Gane at the UFC White House event. This assertion appeared to heavily weigh on the former double champion, but Cormier was quick to correct the record and provide the proper context for the conversation.
“Guys, that’s not what happened,” Cormier explained, pulling up footage of the exact exchange to clear up any ambiguity. According to Cormier, the discussion took place prior to the White House card when Pereira, communicating through his translator Plinio Cruz, posed a hypothetical question about whether a victory would cement his status as the GOAT.
Cormier noted that his response was not a dismissal of Pereira’s championship potential, but rather a realistic assessment of all-time divisional history. He clarified that he told Pereira he would not be the GOAT “yet,” explaining that while a win would unquestionably make him the champion and launch him firmly into the historical conversation alongside legends like Demetrious Johnson and Georges St-Pierre, cementing all-time status requires a body of successful title defenses rather than a single monumental victory. Cormier suggested that this nuance was likely lost in translation, attributing the misunderstanding to the language barrier and natural communication hurdles that can occur between fighters and analysts.
At the core of the disagreement is Pereira’s ardent desire to run back his defeat against Gane. Ever since the UFC White House card, Poatan has campaigned heavily for a do-over, grounding his argument largely in the contention that Gane utilized illegal strikes to the back of the head while securing the second-round finish. Cormier, however, believes that Pereira’s strategic approach to securing an immediate rematch is fundamentally misguided.
While Cormier acknowledged that the legality of the blows that ended the fight provides a talking point, he questioned whether a single grievance is sufficient to bypass standard divisional protocols for an immediate title shot, especially given his own historical experience moving up in weight classes.
“I think he’s a bit misguided in how he’s approaching it,” Cormier remarked. “Because he’s trying to get this rematch, and I really don’t know what he wants to base this immediate rematch on, outside of possibly the strikes to the back of the head. If he’s building his case on, ‘I deserve this rematch based on him finishing me in Round 2 with illegal strikes,’ maybe. But outside of that one thing, there really isn’t much to warrant him getting an immediate title fight.”
Cormier drew comparisons to his own career trajectory, specifically when he moved up to challenge Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight championship. He noted that had he lost that initial encounter, he could not have reasonably expected to walk away with an immediate rematch simply by virtue of wanting one without a deep statistical or competitive basis. He emphasized the need for clarity from Pereira regarding the exact foundation of his rematch demand.
When defending the decision to give Josh Hokit the next title opportunity against Gane at UFC 334, Cormier pointed to the realities of the heavyweight roster, noting a general lack of depth compared to lower weight classes. He highlighted Hokit’s rapid progression within his first year in the organization, which included bouncing back from early victories to face fifth-ranked contender Curtis Blaydes in what Cormier described as one of the most compelling heavyweight bouts in recent memory. Furthermore, Hokit’s subsequent victory over Derrick Lewis—a two-time title challenger currently residing in the top ten—provided him with two significant top-tier wins, making him a logical challenger. Cormier also noted that had the promotion opted to go in a different direction, Alexander Volkov would have been the next natural choice given his existing history with Gane.
Despite the current disagreement and the fallout over the upcoming championship bout, Pereira’s immediate professional future remains active. Rather than dwelling on the missed rematch with Gane, the former two-division titleholder is scheduled to step back into the Octagon against top contender Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in December.
Cormier remains optimistic that a strong performance in that upcoming matchup will naturally course-correct Pereira’s path back to the championship picture. He expressed confidence that a victory over Pavlovich would make a title shot undeniable, ensuring that Pereira gets what he ultimately wants without needing to rely on contested circumstances from his previous outing.
Reiterating his long-standing support for Pereira’s career accomplishments, Cormier concluded that the public disagreement stems entirely from crossed wires rather than any malicious intent or orchestrated narratives.
“Now, Pereira goes and wins his fight, I would definitely say he deserves to fight the winner,” Cormier said. “I just don’t know that the result at the White House helps him in any way, shape, or form to be fighting for the belt immediately. But I didn’t say he wasn’t gonna be the champion. I actually said quite the opposite: that if he won, he would be in the GOAT conversation, with two guys I admire greatly in Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson and Georges St-Pierre. So I just don’t want the conversation changing, because now it feels like we are not aligned in terms of our views, when in reality, I have been a big advocate for Alex Pereira at every single step. I just have to chalk this quote up to a miscommunication and a language barrier.”
