Cormier, UFC rebuff Pereira's 'public opinion manipulation' claims

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has rebuffed claims by Alex Pereira of Brazil that Cormier promoted a specific matchup at the UFC's direction to shape public opinion in its favor.

According to MMA Fighting and Sherdog, Cormier said Wednesday on his YouTube channel that he had never received instructions from the UFC to promote the bout.

The controversy stems from the UFC's decision to book the heavyweight title fight at UFC 334, scheduled for Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Champion Ciryl Gane of France will defend his title against undefeated prospect Josh Hooker of the United States.

Pereira, who suffered a second-round KO loss to Gane at UFC Freedom 250 in June, had sought an immediate rematch. He expressed frustration after the UFC awarded the title shot to Hooker instead.

In a recent interview with Brazilian journalist Laercio Viana, Pereira said the UFC had pushed the Gane-Hooker fight based on fan polling results, though he acknowledged he had not personally seen the polling data.

He particularly took issue with the fact that Cormier and other influential figures had spoken positively about the Gane-Hooker matchup even before it was officially announced, suggesting the UFC may have used them to steer fan opinion toward accepting the pairing.

Cormier drew a line at the allegation, saying he had received no such promotional instructions from the UFC. He said Hooker had fully earned a title shot by defeating Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis in back-to-back fights.

Hooker holds a 10-0 record in mixed martial arts with a perfect 4-0 mark in the UFC. Cormier also expressed skepticism about Pereira's demand for an immediate rematch, noting that Alexandr Volkov of Russia could have received the title shot instead.

"I've had a great relationship with Pereira for the past five years," Cormier added, saying he hoped the dispute would not damage their friendship.

UFC CEO Dana White also backed Cormier's position. Speaking at a press conference following the Contender Series, White rebuffed the allegations, saying he had "never once told Cormier to do anything" and that "we don't operate that way."

White added that the UFC does not instruct commentators such as Cormier or Joe Rogan to speak about specific fighters, and that it does not control the opinions of athletes or analysts.

Meanwhile, Pereira is set to face Sergei Pavlovich of Russia at UFC 335 in Las Vegas on Dec. 12. Cormier said a victory there would go a long way toward establishing Pereira's case for a heavyweight title shot.