Overview
- Alex Pereira lost by knockout to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, and Pereira has repeatedly said the final blows looked like strikes to the back of the head.
- Conor McGregor met Pereira backstage at the UFC 329 ceremonial weigh‑ins and told him to move past the controversy, a public appeal for calm captured in a clip circulated by UFC Europe.
- Pereira has demanded referee Herb Dean be removed from future cards and has said he may appeal the result, but state athletic commissions, which license referees, control discipline and have not reported action.
- UFC CEO Dana White has said some of the blows were 'undeniable,' yet the promotion points to commissions for formal review and notes that overturns or suspensions are rare without clear regulatory findings.
- The dispute has grown after other contested calls involving Dean and on other cards, prompting fighters and commentators to call for clearer enforcement, referee grading, or point‑deduction standards to reduce future fights decided by disputed officiating.