Daniel Cormier believes Alex Pereira is going about his pursuit of an immediate rematch against Ciryl Gane the wrong way following their controversial heavyweight clash.
Pereira, a former UFC champion at middleweight and light heavyweight, moved up to the heavyweight division earlier this year to challenge Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
The Brazilian suffered a second-round defeat, with Gane securing the finish in a fight that sparked controversy. Pereira subsequently accused the Frenchman of landing multiple illegal strikes to the back of his head and has pushed for another opportunity to settle the score.
However, Cormier is not convinced Pereira has done enough to warrant an immediate rematch, aside from the disputed strikes that marred their first encounter.
Speaking in a video posted to his YouTube channel this week, the former two-division UFC champion questioned the reasoning behind Pereira's campaign for another title shot.
“I think that in this fight right here, with the rematch, I think he's a bit misguided in how he's approaching it,” Cormier said.
“Because he's trying to get this rematch, and I don't know, 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 number two with illegal strikes,’ maybe. But outside of that one thing, there really isn't much to warrant him getting an immediate title fight.”
Cormier acknowledged that Pereira's impressive championship résumé helped him secure a heavyweight title opportunity ahead of other contenders. However, he believes that same history does not automatically entitle the Brazilian to an immediate second chance after a defeat.
The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion also drew a comparison with his own career, recalling his first meeting with Stipe Miocic for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
“I would suggest that his history in fighting, his championship (double champion) and the fights that he's had (at middleweight and light heavyweight) allowed for him to jump to heavyweight and fight for the belt before other guys,” Cormier explained.
“But if I would have lost when I went up to fight Stipe (Miocic) the first time, I don't imagine that I could have asked for an immediate rematch. I just don't.”
Meanwhile, Gane's position at heavyweight has changed following Tom Aspinall's decision to vacate the undisputed championship. The Frenchman has since been elevated to official UFC heavyweight champion.
Gane is now scheduled to face Josh Hokit at UFC 334 in New York next month, adding another layer of uncertainty to Pereira's hopes of securing an immediate rematch.
While Pereira's allegations regarding the illegal strikes could strengthen his argument for another meeting, Cormier believes the Brazilian needs more than his championship pedigree and the controversy surrounding the finish to justify another immediate shot at the title.
