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By Ethan Carter — 29 June 2026 — 3 min read

Alex Pereira has been cleared of accusations that he refused to take photos, declined to sign merchandise, and cut short an appearance at a recent London event. The event organizer, Joyagear, issued a statement taking full responsibility for the logistical and communication failures that led to attendee complaints. The company stated that issues arose from internal miscommunication regarding agreed-upon deliverables, rather than any fault of the fighter.

The claims against Pereira circulated quickly, particularly given his recent public activities. These include legal action against referee Herb Dean, comments about retirement, and public frustrations following his attempt to make history at the UFC Freedom 250. His loss to Ciryl Gane in the co-main event prevented him from becoming the first fighter to win UFC titles across three weight classes.

Organizer takes responsibility

Joyagear explicitly stated that it was responsible for the organization, logistics, communication, and agreed deliverables for the events. The company emphasized that Alex Pereira trusted them to manage the tour. They clarified that due to miscommunication and shortcomings on their part, the agreed deliverables were not clearly communicated to Pereira, necessitating changes to parts of the events.

The statement from Joyagear was unambiguous, asserting that the failures in communication and delivery were theirs, not the fighter’s. It indicated that Pereira attended an event where logistics were not properly managed, and any shortcomings experienced by attendees were a direct result of that mismanagement, rather than any refusal on his part.

Prior to Joyagear’s statement, MMA Seminars UK, another organization involved with the event, had expressed strong disappointment. They posted on Instagram, stating they were “Disgusted by what we all witnessed from this man today.” This post followed accusations that Pereira refused to participate in pre-paid meet and greets and photo opportunities at the seminar held in Keighley, England.

Fans who attended the seminar in the United Kingdom expressed dissatisfaction, feeling they did not receive the value they expected. Accusations included Pereira’s alleged refusal to engage in meet and greets, take photos, and sign merchandise that had already been paid for, as well as claims that he shortened the seminar’s duration.

Pereira’s video evidence and other cancellations

Despite the complaints, Pereira’s own Instagram Stories from the seminar presented a different perspective. He uploaded multiple clips showing himself, alongside his head coach Plinio Cruz, interacting with fans through sparring sessions, taking photos, and signing gloves. In some of these videos, attendees could be heard chanting, suggesting a more positive atmosphere than some reports indicated.

Joyagear also insisted that Pereira completed the one-hour seminar as instructed. They took responsibility for the communication failure regarding photo opportunities and other deliverables. Other notable fighters such as Charles Oliveira, Tom Aspinall, and Demetrious Johnson have successfully hosted seminars with MMA Seminars UK, which is also advertising an upcoming event with Georges St-Pierre.

In addition to the London seminar, another meet-and-greet event for Alex Pereira in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, scheduled for June 27 and 28, was reportedly called off. The organizers, identified as jougearofficial, cited unforeseen flight issues involving the former champion as the reason for the cancellation. Full refunds were issued to all ticket holders for these events.

As a gesture of appreciation, and to ensure attendees still had an opportunity to see Alex Pereira, all meet-and-greet ticket holders for the cancelled events were invited to attend the seminar as spectators free of charge. However, the personal photo opportunity during the seminar was no longer available. The organizers apologized for the inconvenience, stating the situation was beyond their control.

Source: boxingnews.com