Alex Pereira has made a firm decision about his future in the UFC after his defeat to Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House event on June 14, shutting down any talk of a return to light heavyweight and immediately setting his sights on a rematch and another title run at heavyweight.
Pereira entered the bout looking to make history as the UFC’s first three-division champion, but Gane stopped him via TKO after a brutal sequence of strikes that left the Brazilian visibly compromised. The loss ended that historic pursuit, but it did not shake his long-term ambitions.
In the immediate aftermath, Pereira left his options open when speaking with Joe Rogan. However, he has now confirmed his direction moving forward.
“100 percent [staying at] heavyweight,” Alex Pereira said. “Honestly, training went really well. A lot of people talk about the weight, but I’ve always been a heavy guy.”
Pereira also pushed back strongly on criticism of his performance, arguing that the fight narrative ignored the damage he absorbed and focused too narrowly on specific moments.
“Some people say I ‘Poatan wasn’t prepared, he can’t take a punch, he got dropped by a jab.’ How can people be so stupid and only see the jab?” he said. “Nobody says, ‘Damn, he took a beating and stayed in the fight.’ Ciryl Gane was already a heavyweight… Nobody sees that. They only talk about the jab. But what about all the punches I took?”
Pereira also addressed concerns about his conditioning at heavyweight, where he entered the fight significantly heavier than in previous bouts at 205 pounds. He insisted fatigue was not the issue, but rather the timing of the exchanges and damage absorbed early.
“I wasn’t tired,” Pereira said. “I got back to the corner and listened clearly to Glover [Teixeira] and Plinio [Cruz]. I didn’t even sit on the stool. I was relaxed. I was feeling good.”
“My strategy wasn’t to expend a lot of energy or throw a lot of strikes,” he said. “It was to use the first round to make my reads and then start picking up the pace. But unfortunately, I got hit.”
Pereira also expressed frustration over what he believes were illegal shots during the finishing sequence.
“The guy landed the jab and then took advantage of the situation [to land illegal strikes], and the referee allowed it.”
He also said he raised concerns about Gane’s tactics before the fight, referencing prior controversies involving the French heavyweight’s in-cage behavior.
Despite the frustration, Pereira confirmed he did not suffer a concussion and remains physically ready to return once medically cleared. He also revealed he requested an immediate rematch on fight night, though the UFC has not committed to a decision.
With Ciryl Gane now holding the interim heavyweight title, Pereira believes the next logical step is an immediate rematch, especially given the controversial nature of the stoppage in his view.
“[I’ll stay at] heavyweight, and I’m definitely focused on the title,” Pereira said. “That jab — I’d call it a lucky punch. He closed his eyes when he threw it. But I’m definitely going after the belt.”
Gane has already called for a title unification fight with Tom Aspinall, setting up another layer of uncertainty in the heavyweight division. Pereira, however, remains confident he will re-enter the title picture once the UFC makes its decision.
Interestingly, Pereira also received praise from longtime rival Israel Adesanya, who reflected on the fight with respect despite their history.
“Ciryl is no slouch, but f*ck,” Adesanya said. “Dare to be great. He is a one of one. He’s great. You can’t fault him.”
Adesanya acknowledged Pereira’s ambition in moving up again in weight and attempting another historic milestone.
“Alex Pereira, he dared to be great,” he said. “He went for it at a new weight… and he did it. So, congrats to him.”
Despite the rivalry that once defined UFC middleweight competition, Adesanya’s comments showed a mutual respect between two of the sport’s most accomplished strikers.
