Alex Pereira isn’t done being angry at Herb Dean. The former two-division UFC champion has repeatedly criticized the veteran referee ever since his knockout loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. After expressing his frustration over Dean’s inability to stop the Frenchmen from landing what he believed were illegal strikes to the back of his head during the finishing sequence, Pereira even went as far as to demand his removal from all future UFC events. He has also claimed that he would appeal against the outcome of the fight. But ahead of UFC 329 this Saturday, the Brazilian received a different message from Conor McGregor.

After receiving the Forrest Griffin Community Award during the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony at T-Mobile Arena, Alex Pereira crossed paths with the Irishman backstage before the UFC 329 ceremonial weigh-ins. There, McGregor first congratulated the Brazilian on his accomplishments before offering a simple piece of advice about his controversial defeat.

“Alex, what’s up, brother, alright?” McGregor told Pereira. “You’re doing great, brother. Keep going. Unlucky last time, you know, back of the head. I see it. But let it go, let it go.”

McGregor advising Pereira to let go of the loss makes sense for two reasons. First, the athletic commission rarely overturns a fight because a referee fails to call a foul. Second, it would help ‘Poatan’ focus on his next fight instead of dwelling on his past loss. Yet it’s understandable that the former middleweight and light heavyweight champion would be furious over the defeat because of the massive stakes involved.

At UFC White House, Alex Pereira was on the cusp of achieving something no one else had in UFC history. He had the chance to become the promotion’s first-ever three-division champion, which he believes Herb Dean’s officiating robbed him of. Also, ‘Poatan’ believed he had recovered from Gane’s jab that dropped him in the second round. However, according to him, it was the subsequent illegal shots that floored him. He believes he could’ve turned the fight around had the referee called those fouls.

UFC CEO Dana White later acknowledged that he believes Pereira had been struck with illegal blows, calling it “undeniable.” At the same time, White was reluctant to place the blame on Herb Dean, saying fouls can happen, but the veteran referee should’ve at least acknowledged them.

Interestingly, McGregor’s advice to Pereira carries some weight.

At UFC 229 in 2018, during his blowout loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Irishman committed fouls such as grabbing the fence and hooking his opponent’s gloves. Still, Herb Dean, who also officiated that particular fight, didn’t stop the action despite the Dagestan native repeatedly complaining about the infractions. Well, ‘The Eagle’ was definitely not happy with the officiating, but he eventually forgave Dean in a conversation that took place back in 2021.

Regardless, Conor McGregor isn’t the only former champion urging Alex Pereira to move on from the fiasco.

Ex-UFC champ advised Alex Pereira to stop complaining about Ciryl Gane loss

Alongside Herb Dean, Alex Pereira has also been very critical of Ciryl Gane for committing yet another foul that affected his fight. Using those complaints, the Brazilian former champion has also demanded a rematch against the Frenchman in the future. However, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes Pereira complaining about the loss could hurt his image.

“Listen, he lost the fight. There’s no shame in that whatsoever,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “But sitting there, complaining and crying about it, and going on about how he was fouled, it’s just not a good look. I don’t know who is advising him and letting him say this, but someone should pull him aside and tell him he was beaten. Fair and square. Ciryl Gane wasn’t getting tired, by the way; that’s another thing Alex Pereira said… that that’s why he was lying on the floor after the fight.”

Here, Bisping pushed back against Pereira’s claim that Gane was getting tired when he actually scored the knockdown. However, it was Gane who dictated the pace efficiently in the second round.

Regardless of what anyone says, whether Pereira accepts the advice remains to be seen. For now, the Brazilian remains determined to remove the blot from his record. Regarding a rematch, most likely, the UFC might put together a grudge match between him and Josh Hokit, with the winner earning another shot at the belt.