Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira is ready to get back to work and he knows exactly who he wants to see standing across the cage from him.
Out of action since June when Pereira failed to capture a third title after he was finished by Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title fight at the UFC White House card, the Brazilian went on a very public campaign complaining about referee Herb Dean failing to call the illegal shots he was taking to the back of the head. Pereira has spent months taking aim at Dean and his referee skills but now “Poatan” is ready to put that incident behind him so he can focus on the real task at hand — beaeting Gane in a rematch and getting that heavyweight title wrapped around his waist.
“After much time after resting what I needed to do, after much work, after my last fight, many people are talking with who will Alex fight?” Pereira said on Instagram. “I’m seeing many opinions but I think the fight that makes sense is Ciryl Gane.
“That’s the fight. I’m going to work on that and from what I’m seeing, it’s something that’s going to happen. How the last fight [ended], there were illegal shots. I think now with another opportunity I can come back and show what I can do, what I can achieve, which is the third belt. I’m very excited for that and I’ll work for that. Chama!”
The UFC hasn’t made anything official regarding Gane’s next fight, although the hope was that he would unify the interim title with the reigning undisputed champion Tom Aspinall once he’s healthy enough to compete again. Aspinall has been out of action for the past 11 months after accidental eye pokes from Gane ended their first fight in a no-contest.
Since then, Aspinall has undergone numerous surgeries to repair the damage done but both UFC CEO Dana White and Aspinall’s manager Eddie Hearn have stated publicly that he’s still not quite ready to fight again.
That could potentially lead to Gane taking another fight in the meantime, which could potentially open the door for Pereira to get his rematch before 2026 is over.
It’s impossible to know for certain what the UFC is going to do but Pereira hinting at the fact that the fight is “going to happen” might just mean that he’ll get a second shot at Gane in one of the final marquee events of the year.
