Alex Pereira surprised by Jon Jones video after Gane loss
Alex Pereira said Jon Jones' reaction to his knockout loss against Ciryl Gane at UFC White House left him confused, given that he never spoke negatively about the former two-division champion.
Jones posted a wordless video of himself wearing a goat necklace shortly after Gane stopped Pereira in the second round on June 14, a clip many interpreted as a shot at the Brazilian who was pursuing three-division champion status. Jones later congratulated Gane directly on social media, per MMA Fighting.
Pereira questions timing of Jones video
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pereira addressed the video and his history with Jones. "I saw the video and, honestly, I was surprised," he said in Portuguese. "If it were someone who had been provoking him and then lost, and he said something afterward, okay, that would make sense. But I've never spoken badly about Jon Jones. I've always respected him." Pereira added that he never claimed to be the greatest of all time and left that debate to others.
The heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion, who moved up after knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in 2025, had lobbied for a fight with Jones before the UFC went another direction. Sherdog noted that Jones and Pereira have been publicly cordial in the past, with Jones even thanking Pereira for a White House callout before Jones retired without facing interim champ Tom Aspinall last year.
Pereira questioned why Jones chose that moment to post the video. "Honestly, I just don't understand why he did that when an athlete is going through a tough moment," he said. "When he was going through a tough time, what did I do? I supported him. But not everyone is the same." Despite the exchange, Pereira said he remains a fan of Jones and will continue speaking well of him.
Pereira is expected to address his heavyweight plans and potential rematch talk in the coming weeks.
Original reporting:
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