Alex Pereira has claimed a rematch with Ciryl Gane is “going to happen”, as fans await clarity atop the UFC heavyweight division.
In June, Gane stopped Pereira at the White House to win the interim heavyweight title, while regular champion Tom Aspinall continued to recover from an eye injury.
That injury came at the hands of Gane last October, when multiple eye pokes from the Frenchman forced a no-contest as he challenged Aspinall for the undisputed belt.
And there were more allegations of fouls in June, with Pereira and many fans claiming that Gane struck the Brazilian on the back of the head multiple times just before the stoppage.
As such, Pereira called for a rematch, and the former light-heavyweight king has now doubled down on those demands.
Speaking in a video on Instagram, Pereira said: “After much time, after resting, resting what I needed to, after much work, after my last fight, many people are talking with, ‘Who will Alex fight?’
“And 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!”
Despite the controversy around Gane’s win over Pereira, the expectation has been that the Frenchman will face Aspinall next – especially given the Briton has finally returned to training, after multiple eye surgeries.
However, there are precious few opportunities for Gane vs Aspinall – or Gane vs Pereira – to take place in 2026.
The UFC has already set the main events for its numbered cards in September and October, leaving just UFC 334 in November and UFC 335 in December.
Gane’s win over Pereira made him a two-time interim champion, with the 36-year-old having failed to unify the belts against Francis Ngannou in 2022.
Pereira, 39, is a former two-time light-heavyweight champion and one-time middleweight champion. His fight with Gane marked his heavyweight debut.
