Daniel Cormier responds to Alex Pereira: ‘I was not told by the UFC to promote’ Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit
MMA Fighting • • sports
Key Points:
- Daniel Cormier addressed Alex Pereira's recent criticisms about the UFC 334 heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit, denying any misrepresentation or influence over the matchup promotion.
- Pereira had lobbied for a rematch with Gane after losing to him and accused Cormier of suggesting he wouldn’t be champion if he had beaten Gane, which Cormier refuted as a miscommunication.
- Cormier explained that Pereira’s immediate rematch request lacks sufficient basis beyond claims of illegal strikes, and defended Hokit's title shot due to his impressive recent wins in the heavyweight division.
- Pereira is scheduled to fight Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in December, and Cormier believes a win there would justify Pereira earning a title shot against the Gane-Hokit winner.
- Overall, Cormier emphasized his respect and friendship with Pereira, attributing the disagreement to possible language barriers and misunderstandings rather than personal animosity.
