Alex Pereira wants Ciryl Gane, and the former two-division UFC champion believes a rematch with the French heavyweight is the only fight that makes sense for his return to the Octagon.
After months away from competition, Pereira has made it clear that he is ready to move on from the controversy surrounding his last fight and focus on reclaiming his place in the heavyweight title picture.
Pereira has been sidelined since June, when he suffered a knockout loss to Gane in their interim heavyweight title clash at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House card. Following the defeat, the Brazilian repeatedly criticized referee Herb Dean, arguing that illegal strikes to the back of the head contributed to the stoppage.
Now, however, Pereira appears more interested in settling the score inside the cage than revisiting old grievances.
Speaking in a recent video shared on social media, Pereira explained why he believes a second fight with Gane is the logical next step in his career.
“After much time after resting what I needed to do, after much work, after my last fight, many people are talking about who Alex will fight,” Pereira said.“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,” Pereira said. “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 and what I can achieve, which is the third belt. I’m very excited for that, and I’ll work for that. Chama!”
The loss to Gane halted Pereira’s bid to become a three-division UFC champion, a feat that would have added another historic achievement to his résumé.
While many fans expected Pereira to pursue a fresh matchup at heavyweight, including a potential showdown with rising contender Josh Hokit, the Brazilian appears focused solely on avenging his defeat.
His confidence suggests he believes the UFC could grant him another shot at Gane before the end of the year.
A rematch between Pereira and Gane would likely depend on the status of undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
The UFC’s original plan appeared to be a title unification bout between Aspinall and Gane. However, Aspinall has remained inactive for nearly a year after suffering serious eye injuries during his first meeting with Gane, which ended in a no contest due to accidental eye pokes.
Although Aspinall continues to recover, UFC CEO Dana White and Aspinall’s team have indicated that the British champion is not yet ready to return.
That uncertainty could create an opening for Gane to take another fight before the division’s title picture becomes clearer.
