Alex Pereira is facing allegations of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and coercive control ahead of his scheduled appearance at UFC Freedom 250.
Allegations detailed in CBC and Sportschau reports
CBC News reported on Saturday that it reviewed court records, including depositions, from an ongoing Miami-Dade civil case involving Pereira and German MMA presenter Merle Christine.
The allegations were first reported by Maike Backhaus for ARD/WDR’s Sportschau.
Pereira has denied the allegations.
Christine, whom CBC identifies as having been in a relationship with Pereira for around a year, alleges that Pereira assaulted her, controlled and isolated her, tracked her movements, took her phone and passport, and forced or coerced her into sexual acts.
According to CBC, Christine alleges that Pereira pressured her to have sex nearly every day and, at times, prevented her from sleeping until she gave in. Sportschau reported that Christine described one alleged incident in which she refused sex, after which Pereira allegedly took her into a bathroom and forced her to perform oral intercourse.
Christine also alleges that Pereira used Apple AirTags and recording devices to monitor her. Sportschau reported that she accused him of deleting her social media accounts, destroying two computers, taking away a hard drive, hiding microphones in her handbag, and cutting her off from family and friends.
Miami-Dade case remains open
POST Wrestling reviewed case details from the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller of Miami-Dade County, which lists the proceeding as ‘Brand, Merle vs Silva Pereira, Alex Sandro’. The case was filed on July 22, 2025, listed as a stalking case, and remains open, with the next hearing listed for Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
The docket lists Merle Brand as the petitioner and Alex Sandro Silva Pereira as the respondent. It includes entries for a petition, a petitioner’s motion for hearing on injunction, a temporary injunction denial on July 22, 2025, multiple domestic violence hearings, exhibit lists, a respondent’s motion to dismiss, and deposition transcript filings.
The case details reviewed so far by POST do not include the underlying petition or the deposition transcripts.
Pereira denies allegations
CBC reported that Pereira denied committing acts of violence against Christine during a Jan. 7 deposition. He also denied using AirTags to track her, but admitted secretly recording arguments. Pereira denied confining Christine to a room, while saying he took her phone so she would not leave.
The reporting also covers allegations made by Meredith Brown, who accused Pereira in 2024 of sexually assaulting her at a New Jersey hotel after UFC 302. Pereira denied Brown’s allegation in the Miami deposition and said the encounter was consensual. Sportschau reported that no charges had been filed in that matter.
CBC also reported that the Miami records address a prior incident in Brazil involving Pereira’s then-wife more than a decade ago. Pereira reportedly said in the deposition that he spent 18 days in jail after the incident, while denying that he assaulted her and describing the matter as a misunderstanding.
UFC Freedom 250 scheduled for Sunday
Pereira is scheduled to face Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday at the White House.
Pereira has previously held UFC championships at middleweight and light heavyweight. A win over Gane would make him the first fighter in UFC history to win titles in three UFC weight classes.
The UFC’s Athlete Conduct Policy lists domestic violence, partner abuse, sexual misconduct, stalking, assault, and violent or threatening behavior among forms of misconduct that can result in sanctions, contractual penalties or termination.
CBC reported that the UFC did not respond to its questions. Sportschau stated that Pereira, UFC, Dana White and the White House did not respond to questions before publication.
