The UFC heavyweight division will crown an interim champion at the White House as Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane go head-to-head for championship gold on the South Lawn at UFC Freedom 250.
For one man, it’s the chance to recapture a belt he once held 4-and-a-half years ago, while for the other, it’s a chance to write his name into mixed martial arts history by doing something no mixed martial artist has done before.
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Alex Pereira’s place in the pantheon of UFC greats is already assured, but on Sunday night at the White House, “Poatan” is looking to write his name into the record books as the first fighter to capture UFC championships in three different weight classes. Pereira’s career in the UFC has been nothing short of incredible. The Brazilian had already captured championship gold in two weight classes for global kickboxing organization GLORY before signing with the UFC.
His arrival came with a ready-made narrative. The Brazilian came into the UFC with a reputation as a ferocious knockout artist, and as the nemesis of Israel Adesanya. His rivalry with “The Last Stylebender” defined the first chapters of his UFC career as he blasted his way to a meeting with his old rival off the back of successive victories over Andreas Michailidis, Bruno Silva, and future middleweight champion Sean Strickland. His first-round finish of Strickland earned him a shot at Adesanya at UFC 281, where a fifth-round standing TKO gave the Brazilian his fourth-straight UFC victory, and saw him capture the undisputed middleweight crown.
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Defeat to Adesanya in the rematch at UFC 287 prompted Pereira to move up to light heavyweight where he embarked on a remarkable five-fight run that saw him capture the 205-pound title and defend it three times in the space of 15 months. During that run, Pereira defeated former light heavyweight champions Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka (twice) and Jamahal Hill, as well as hard-hitting contender Khalil Rountree as he enjoyed the best form of his UFC career. After he was edged out on the scorecards by Magomed Ankalaev while fighting injured at UFC 313, Pereira returned fully fit at UFC 320 to knock out Ankalaev in 80 seconds to reclaim the light heavyweight throne.
Despite cementing himself as the best light heavyweight on the planet, Pereira isn’t done. He opted to relinquish the 205-pound crown and move up to heavyweight to begin a new quest – to capture UFC gold in a third weight class. With undisputed champion Tom Aspinall forced onto the sidelines after undergoing double eye surgery, UFC officials introduced an interim title to keep the division moving with Pereira facing France’s Gane to take up that interim mantle.
For a man who carries the nickname of “Bon Gamin” (Good Kid), Ciryl Gane has found himself in the unusual position of having to face personal criticism after his last title challenge ended in frustrating circumstances.
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The big Frenchman, whose laid-back personality has been his calling card throughout his UFC career, found himself on the wrong end of criticism after his title bout with Tom Aspinall ended in a no contest, and Aspinall ended up having surgery on both eyes, after an unfortunate double eye-poke brought their heavyweight title fight to a premature end. Despite the unfortunate series of events at UFC 321 last October, Gane has retained the same easy-going energy as he prepares for a huge title fight at the White House this weekend.
It’s a chance for Gane to recapture the interim crown he held back in 2021 when he defeated Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. And, after a series of results that have given him the highest highs and some crashing lows, Gane is ready to claim the biggest win of his UFC career.
Gane’s globetrotting UFC run started in Montevideo, Uruguay, back in 2019 when he submitted Raphael Pessoa in the first round via arm-triangle choke. He followed up with a heel-hook finish of Don’Tale Mayes in Singapore, then a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Tanner Boser in Busan, South Korea, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
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A difficult year in 2020 saw Gane fight just once after a quartet of matchups fell by the wayside. That fight, in December at UFC 256, saw Gane make major progress as he knocked out former undisputed champion Junior dos Santos to elevate his stock and push him closer to matchups with the division’s elite. Decision wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov followed, with the latter earning Gane a fight against Derrick Lewis for the vacant interim heavyweight title at UFC 265. Gane rose to the occasion and, in a mature, composed performance, did well to avoid Lewis’ knockout power before finishing him with ground and pound in the third round.
Gane seemed to be primed and ready for big things, and his bout with former training partner Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 saw Gane in a fight that seemed to have some real needle in it. In a tightly contested battle, Gane lost out on the scorecards to undisputed champ Ngannou. Since that defeat, Gane bounced back with a knockout of Tai Tuivasa, then lost to Jon Jones for the vacant undisputed heavyweight title once again. But bounce back wins over Serghei Spivac and Alexander Volkov pushed him back into title contention, and his ill-fated clash with Aspinall last October.
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Gane is now ready for his fifth UFC title fight as he gets set to take on former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Pereira for the vacant interim belt once again. Victory will put Gane back on collision course with Aspinall once the Englishman is ready to return. But against Pereira, he faces the most decorated striker in the UFC. France’s “Good Kid” will need to have a very good night, but after defeating feared knockout artists before, he’ll enter the Octagon confident of victory, and a reunion with his old title belt.
UFC Freedom 250 presented by Crypto.com and Ram took place live from the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 14. See the Official Results, Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
