Alex Pereira’s attempt to become the first fighter to hold UFC titles in three divisions came up short.
The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion stepped into the octagon against Ciryl Gane at UFC 250: Freedom.
They fought for the interim heavyweight belt at the White House on Sunday night, with both men hoping to make a statement in a packed division.
Ciryl Gane knocks out Alex Pereira
In the opening round, Alex Pereira came out aggressively, looking to make an early impression with a series of head kick attempts.
But it was Ciryl Gane who likely edged the round on the cards after landing some solid shots. Pereira did manage to land a big punch just before the horn sounded, though he couldn’t keep that momentum going into the next frame.
Gane floored him with a crisp jab and then followed him to the mat to close things out. Pereira got back up again and showed his heart, but never really recovered from the knockdown.
This defeat ended Pereira’s six-fight win streak, which included two victories over Jiri Prochazka and a knockout of Jamahal Hill earlier in 2024. He now stands at 10-3 in MMA overall (7-2 UFC).
Ciryl Gane improved his record to 14-2 (11-2 UFC) and set himself up for another shot at undisputed heavyweight gold down the line.
What’s coming up next?
Ciryl Gane is lined up for a title shot against Tom Aspinall, though that might not happen until next year.
The heavyweight champion hasn’t fought since last October, when he suffered an eye injury during his first title defence.
Their UFC 321 fight was ruled a no-contest after Aspinall was poked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane. Although he hasn’t been cleared for full sparring yet, the hope is that Aspinall will be back soon.
Gane has already called for their rematch to be held in Paris later this year.
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