Alex Pereira addresses the possibility of using his grappling against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250

Alex Pereira and his next opponent Ciryl Gane are counted among the very best strikers in mixed martial arts today. Both also boast extensive experience in the sport of kickboxing, with Pereira notably being a former Glory Kickboxing middleweight and light heavyweight champion. 

Considering that, the vast majority of fight fans expect their MMA showdown to be one that's primarily contested in the striking department with comparatively low grappling exchanges. 

Nevertheless, "Poatan" has suggested that he could showcase some of his grappling prowess against Gane. Intriguingly, Gane, too, recently made a similar assertion. 

Alex Pereira discusses the possibility of using his ground game against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250

Presently, Alex Pereira is booked to take on former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight championship. Brazil's Pereira previously held the UFC middleweight title as well as the UFC light heavyweight title. The Pereira vs. Gane winner would be in line to face heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall when he returns from his injury hiatus. 

The upcoming fight would mark Pereira's heavyweight divisional debut. They're set to co-headline the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House in Washington on June 14. 

In episode No. 2 of the UFC Freedom 250 Embedded: Vlog Series, Pereira was shown training under the guidance of one of his longtime mentors, BJJ savant and ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira. 

Engaging in a seemingly grueling grappling training session at the Teixeira MMA & Fitness gym in Bethel, Connecticut, Pereira stated: 

"Great training session. We trained grappling, Jiu-Jitsu. It was awesome. It's very technical. It was hard in the end... I've been observing and taking it all in; what Glover (Teixeira) has been saying."

Furthermore, the 38-year-old indicated that he generally prefers using striking to win fights but is more than capable of displaying his grappling. Signaling that he could showcase his grappling at UFC Freedom 250, Pereira said: 

"I like training grappling, which is something newer for me, right? I hope I don't need to use it, but if I do, well, I'm good. I'm ready. Let's go." 

 

Check out Alex Pereira discuss the grappling element of his training and imminent fight at UFC Freedom 250 below (*comments at the 2:33-minute mark of the video): 

Alex Pereira's BJJ black belt promotion made waves at the historic UFC 300 event

Alex Pereira headlined the historic UFC 300 card in April 2024. It marked the tricentennial celebrations of the UFC's numbered PPV (pay-per-view) events. 

The kickboxing great notched a successful UFC light heavyweight title defense by securing a spectacular knockout victory over former 205-pound kingpin Jamahal Hill in the very first round. 

Following that, Pereira was awarded his BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) black belt by Glover Teixeira in the octagon. While the striking savant's performance earned him widespread laudation, certain sections of the combat sports community questioned his promotion to the black belt level in BJJ. 

Several critics argued that Pereira's striking skills earned him the victory, and BJJ is a grappling-centric martial art, so the KO win at UFC 300 didn't warrant him being bestowed with the BJJ black belt.

Regardless, in ensuing matchups -- including a two-fight series against Dagestani grappling maestro Magomed Ankalaev -- Pereira earned praise for showcasing his grappling, particularly his defensive grappling arsenal.