Alex Pereira reacts to Jon Jones' post-fight video after UFC upset
MMA Fighting • 4 min read • Latest: Jun 18, 2026, 6:00 PM
Last updated Jun 18, 2026

Alex Pereira was surprised by Jon Jones' post-fight video following Pereira's loss to Ciryl Gane at the UFC event on June 14. Jones posted the video wearing a 'GOAT' necklace, which many interpreted as a jab at Pereira after he fell short in his bid to become the first fighter to hold UFC titles in three divisions. Pereira publicly shared his thoughts on the video, expressing confusion over Jones' actions given their previously respectful relationship. He noted that he has consistently spoken positively about Jones and expressed disappointment in the timing of Jones' remarks. Pereira had aimed for a matchup with Jones in the heavyweight division, following his successful title defense in the light heavyweight class in 2025, though the UFC chose a different path for Jones.
- •Pereira lost to Ciryl Gane at the UFC on June 14.
- •Jones' video post was seen as a shot at Pereira.
- •Pereira expressed surprise at Jones' reaction during a tough moment.
- •Pereira still considers himself a fan of Jones despite the incident.
- •Jones won the heavyweight title earlier in the night against Gane.
- 2:02 PMMMA Fighting — Jon Jones sends message to anyone trying to dethrone him as the GOAT of MMA - MMA Fighting
- 6:00 PMMMA Fighting — Alex Pereira ‘surprised’ by Jon Jones’ post-fight video: ‘I just don’t understand why he did that’
"Alex Pereira came up short in his attempt to win a UFC title at the White House on June 14, which would make him the first to clinch UFC belts in three divisions, and former two-division champion Jon Jones posted a reaction video that was interpreted as a shot at him. No words were said in the video, and Jones was wearing a goat necklace. Jon Jones reacted to Ciryl Gane knocking out Alex Pereira by posting a video of him wearing a GOAT chain Dana White previously said Pereira would be the MMA GOAT with a win over Gane 👀 (via @JonnyBones) https://t.co/iaLydzFOzv pic.twitter.com/AEml5PDKZk — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 15, 2026 Jones, who won the UFC heavyweight title with a quick victory over Ciryl Gane, later posted a message congratulating Gane for winning the bout with a second-round knockout over the Brazilian. Congratulations to the new heavyweight champion Gane, you looked great out there tonight. ~🐐 — Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 15, 2026 Pereira posted a video on his YouTube channel blasting referee Herb Dean for missing illegal strikes to the back of his head, and also addressed Jones’ video post. “I saw the video and, honestly, I was surprised,” Pereira 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. A lot of people asked me, ‘Alex, do you consider yourself the greatest?’ Tell him to post any interview where I said that if I win, I’d be the greatest. If people consider me the greatest, okay. If they don’t, that’s okay too. I’m making my money, I’m making history. Whether I am or not, that’s not for me to decide.” “Poatan” went up in weight after regaining his light heavyweight belt with a first-round knockout over Magomed Ankalaev in 2025 and was angling for a fight with Jones for the heavyweight title. The two have always been cordial to each other publicly and Jones had also voiced his interest in facing Pereira, but the UFC ultimately decided to go in a different direction. “Honestly, I just don’t understand why he did that when an athlete is going through a tough moment,” Pereira said. “Nobody wants to lose. For someone to take a shot at a guy who has never taken a shot at him during a difficult moment like that, you know? When he was going through a tough time, what did I do? I supported him. But not everyone is the same. Everyone thinks differently.” Despite the subtle shot taken, Pereira remains “a fan” and said he will not change his opinion about Jones. “I’ve always spoken highly of him,” Pereira said. “I never said he was the greatest, but I’ve said he’s one of the greatest and that he can be considered the greatest. I’m not going to get into debates about who’s the greatest because then someone else comes along and people just start arguing, you know? But even with all of this, I’m not going to stop being a fan of his. I’ve always spoken well of him. I’m a fan. I just don’t understand why he did that.”
"Jon Jones dares anyone to challenge his GOAT status
Sources
External links- MMA FightingJun 19, 2026, 2:02 PMJon Jones sends message to anyone trying to dethrone him as the GOAT of MMA - MMA Fighting
Jon Jones dares anyone to challenge his GOAT status
- MMA FightingJun 18, 2026, 6:00 PMAlex Pereira ‘surprised’ by Jon Jones’ post-fight video: ‘I just don’t understand why he did that’
Alex Pereira came up short in his attempt to win a UFC title at the White House on June 14, which would make him the first to clinch UFC belts in three divisions, and former two-division champion Jon Jones posted a reaction video that was interpreted as a shot at him. No words were said in the video, and Jones was wearing a goat necklace. Jon Jones reacted to Ciryl Gane knocking out Alex Pereira by posting a video of him wearing a GOAT chain Dana White previously said Pereira would be the MMA GOAT with a win over Gane 👀 (via @JonnyBones) https://t.co/iaLydzFOzv pic.twitter.com/AEml5PDKZk — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 15, 2026 Jones, who won the UFC heavyweight title with a quick victory over Ciryl Gane, later posted a message congratulating Gane for winning the bout with a second-round knockout over the Brazilian. Congratulations to the new heavyweight champion Gane, you looked great out there tonight. ~🐐 — Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 15, 2026 Pereira posted a video on his YouTube channel blasting referee Herb Dean for missing illegal strikes to the back of his head, and also addressed Jones’ video post. “I saw the video and, honestly, I was surprised,” Pereira 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. A lot of people asked me, ‘Alex, do you consider yourself the greatest?’ Tell him to post any interview where I said that if I win, I’d be the greatest. If people consider me the greatest, okay. If they don’t, that’s okay too. I’m making my money, I’m making history. Whether I am or not, that’s not for me to decide.” “Poatan” went up in weight after regaining his light heavyweight belt with a first-round knockout over Magomed Ankalaev in 2025 and was angling for a fight with Jones for the heavyweight title. The two have always been cordial to each other publicly and Jones had also voiced his interest in facing Pereira, but the UFC ultimately decided to go in a different direction. “Honestly, I just don’t understand why he did that when an athlete is going through a tough moment,” Pereira said. “Nobody wants to lose. For someone to take a shot at a guy who has never taken a shot at him during a difficult moment like that, you know? When he was going through a tough time, what did I do? I supported him. But not everyone is the same. Everyone thinks differently.” Despite the subtle shot taken, Pereira remains “a fan” and said he will not change his opinion about Jones. “I’ve always spoken highly of him,” Pereira said. “I never said he was the greatest, but I’ve said he’s one of the greatest and that he can be considered the greatest. I’m not going to get into debates about who’s the greatest because then someone else comes along and people just start arguing, you know? But even with all of this, I’m not going to stop being a fan of his. I’ve always spoken well of him. I’m a fan. I just don’t understand why he did that.”
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