Ultimate Fighting Championship uses Daniel Cormier and other influential figures to build support for certain encounters.
Pereira (13-4) is scheduled to face off Sergei Pavlovich (21-3) in the heavyweight match at UFC 335 Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Meanwhile
Josh Hockey (10-0) is set to challenge Cyril Gane
(14-2, 1 NC) for the heavyweight title at UFC 334 November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Pereira has questioned whether the fans wanted a Gane-Hokit match.
Alex Pereira questions Daniel Cormier’s support for Cyril Gane vs. Josh Hokit and the UFC Reported Fan Poll
“Poatan” said he expected a title shot in a rematch with Gane, who stopped him in June at
UFC Freedom 250.
Pereira said the UFC told him it conducted a poll that showed fans wanted Gane to face Hokit, even though he hadn’t seen it. He suggested that Cormier and others with large followings were encouraged to hype the bout before it was announced to boost public support.
“At first, the UFC said they did a survey that I didn’t see and that the public wanted it… I said OK,” Pereira Laerte told Viana. “They’re the ones in charge. It’s all being manipulated. I saw before the announcement that Cormier and other guys said it was going to be a good fight. When I say people, I mean people who are heavily engaged. They said, ‘Hey, come on, say this fight is good, so if we drop it, the public will be okay with it and agree with you.'” โ I think they did everything there to make people believe that this fight should to be. I asked him if I beat Ciryl Gane? He said, ‘I don’t think so.’
