Ciryl Gane Claims Alex Pereira Turned Down Short-Notice UFC Fight in January

In recent years, Alex Pereira has become one of the biggest stars in the UFC. He has taken fights on short notice and put on killer performances. Adding to this, he has beaten so many fighters back to back. And not to forget, he has a rags-to-riches story, which inspires so many fans. That’s why, despite not speaking English, there are so many reasons behind why ‘Poatan’ has become a UFC superstar.

Meanwhile, when he recently lost at UFC Freedom 250, it was a big upset for fans. Talking about a match against Pereira, UFC champion Ciryl Gane stated that the fight was supposed to happen in January, but it didn’t work out.

Ciryl Gane Reveals Alex Pereira Rejected UFC Fight on Two Weeks’ Notice

The new heavyweight champion said the UFC offered him a fight against Pereira on just two weeks’ notice for the first UFC Paramount event in January. As per him, he accepted the fight quickly, but ‘Poatan’ did not. Because of that, the fight did not happen in January and was instead booked for June.

“They offered me Pereira on two weeks notice for the launch of Paramount with the UFC. For the launch in January. And I accepted, as always. I always accept quickly. But the other side didn’t accept, so it happened in June,” Gane said.

To put things in context, just a few months ago, in October 2025, Pereira fought against Magomed Ankalaev and reclaimed his title. And entering the heavyweight division on just two weeks’ notice was a huge risk for any fighter. So, it is understandable why he has not accepted the fight. Later, on June 14, Pereira lost to Gane via knockout, which was a huge shock for many.

Ciryl Gane Calls Alex Pereira Win the Biggest Victory of His Career

Talking about the UFC Freedom 250 fight, Gane called his win over Pereira the biggest win of his career so far. He said ‘Poatan’ is a great champion, and beating him at the White House made the win even more special. Gane also felt that his game plan worked very well during the fight.

Gane stated, “It is the biggest victory of my career, yes, for now, because Alex Pereira is a huge champion, because it was against him, it was at the White House, and because the strategy was really on point, you see. So really, yeah, I can say that it is my biggest victory.”

Since then, the Brazilian has been taking shots at Herb Dean for allowing illegal shots to the back of his head and has been demanding a rematch. Meanwhile, the UFC has booked Gane against Josh Hokit for his first title defense. Pereira wants to become the first-ever three-division champion and has a rivalry with both Hokit and Gane. So, he might get another title shot after their fight.