Alex Pereira congratulated Josh Hokit backstage at UFC 334 on Saturday, sharing that he believed Hokit deserved the victory against Ciryl Gane, despite the judges awarding a unanimous decision to the reigning heavyweight champion. Video footage published by Red Corner MMA captured Pereira walking over to Hokit to shake his hand following the main event held at Madison Square Garden. This amicable interaction marked a shift from a tense UFC Freedom 250 fight week, during which Hokit frequently aimed personal insults at Pereira.
Backstage Reconciliation and Upcoming Bouts
During their backstage meeting, Pereira offered words of encouragement to his former rival. “Hey bro, Chama. Congrats, my brother. For me, you won,” Pereira told Hokit, according to sports.yahoo.com reporting. In return, Hokit offered well wishes for Pereira’s upcoming heavyweight matchup against Sergei Pavlovich. “Best of luck in your fight. Chama,” Hokit replied.
Pereira is set to step into the Octagon against Pavlovich at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the decision loss against Gane marked the first defeat in the professional career of Josh Hokit.
