“The fight that makes sense”: Alex Pereira calls for Ciryl Gane rematch
Alex Pereira has revealed that he wants a rematch with Ciryl Gane after their controversial first meeting, as he targets a return to the UFC heavyweight title picture.
Early speculation was that a potential showdown between Alex Pereira and Josh Hokit could be booked, as the latter continued to take jabs and call ‘Poatan’ out since UFC Freedom 250. However, the Brazilian has said he is seeking a rematch with Ciryl Gane.
Alex Pereira targets Ciryl Gane rematch
Pereira and Gane threw down at UFC Freedom 250, a historic one-off event at the White House in June, co-headlining the event. In his debut, the Brazilian was knocked out in the second round and couldn't capture the interim UFC heavyweight belt against the Frenchman.
The Brazilian has since accused Gane of landing illegal shots to the back of his head during the finishing sequence, which referee Herb Dean did not call.
Pereira later claimed Gane landed several illegal shots to the back of his head in the fight’s final moments, but Herb Dean allowed the action to continue. The Brazilian believes that if the referee had stopped the fight and taken action against the Frenchman, the fight could have played out differently.
Since then, the former UFC two-division champion has been out of action, and in his recent Instagram video, the Brazilian addressed the speculation surrounding his next opponent and explained why a rematch with Gane makes the most sense to him.
“What's up, everyone? 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 gonna work on that, and from what I'm seeing, that’s something that's gonna happen,” Pereira addressed.
Pereira then referenced the controversial ending to their first meeting and expressed his desire to prove what he can accomplish with another opportunity, and that is a third UFC belt.
“How the last fight 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,” Pereira continued.
Check out Alex Pereira’s comments below:
Alex Pereira could get his rematch with Ciryl Gane amid heavyweight title uncertainty
After capturing the interim heavyweight belt against Pereira, Gane is expected to face Tom Aspinall in a title unification bout later this year; however, Eddie Hearn has said the Brit needs further testing due to ongoing concerns about his eyes, which he suffered against the Frenchman, where he got eye poked in both eyes and was unable to continue at UFC 321, and the fight was declared a no-contest.
With Hearn’s recent comments, this title unification fight rematch is uncertain. And the interim champion has expressed his desire to face either the heavyweight champion or ‘Poatan’ in a rematch.
It remains to be seen who Pereira could face next, since Gane too has shown interest in a rematch. The UFC could book it, as fans are already waiting for the former light heavyweight champion’s return to the octagon, as he remains one of the biggest stars the promotion has right now.
