Alex Pereira is set to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250, aiming to make history by winning belts in three divisions. However, Pereira does not anticipate that Tom Aspinall will be his next opponent after the fight.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Alex Pereira can make UFC history next month when he fights Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250.
No fighter has ever won UFC belts in three divisions, but Pereira can reach that mark after conquering middleweight and light heavyweight.
Yet when asked what could come after a potential win over Gane, Pereira made clear he does not expect Tom Aspinall to be ready immediately.
Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty Images
‘Poatan’ spoke to Eurosport’s Alvaro Colmenaro and insisted he remains open to any opponent the UFC chooses after the Gane fight.
However, he sounded sceptical about Aspinall’s recovery timeline following the eye injury and surgery that have kept the heavyweight champion sidelined.
Pereira explained: “Any athlete the UFC puts in front of me, I’ll be willing to fight. But honestly, I think if I win the belt, I’m unlikely to fight Tom Aspinall next. Why? Because he won’t be ready. Is he training yet? Has he recovered?”
“Everyone who knows me knows I want to fight frequently. Given how his last fight went, when am I going to fight him? I want to fight as soon as possible, so I think he won’t be ready. But I hope he will be,” the Brazilian star concluded.
Despite Pereira’s comments, Aspinall has previously said the UFC told him he will fight the Pereira vs Gane winner when he returns.
He recently explained that his recovery is progressing well, but also admitted he is training without sparring for now.
Alex Pereira is fighting Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title, aiming to become the first fighter to win UFC belts in three different divisions.
Alex Pereira indicated that he does not expect Tom Aspinall to be ready for a fight immediately after his bout with Ciryl Gane.
A win against Ciryl Gane would allow Alex Pereira to make UFC history by becoming the first fighter to hold championships in three different weight classes.
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In that context, the message from the Brazilian is simple: if he beats Gane, he wants momentum, and he is not prepared to wait too long.
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