Pereira Calls for Ciryl Gane Rematch After UFC Freedom 250

Alex Pereira wants a rematch with Ciryl Gane, the interim UFC heavyweight champion who stopped him in the second round at UFC Freedom 250 in June.

Pereira made the case himself in an Instagram video, telling fans he believes the fight will actually happen. "I think the fight that makes sense is Ciryl Gane," Pereira said. "I'm going to work on that and from what I'm seeing, it's something that's going to happen."

Why Pereira Says the Gane Fight Makes Sense

Pereira is leaning on how the first fight ended to justify an immediate second look. He referenced the finish directly in his callout, saying "How the last fight ended: there were illegal shots." The finish itself was not in question. Gane dropped Pereira and closed the show with strikes that ended the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250, handing Pereira, a former two-division champion, a second-round TKO loss in his heavyweight title bid.

What This Means for Gane's Title Path

The bigger complication for Pereira's pitch is that Gane already has a bigger fight on the table. Gane was expected to take on Tom Aspinall in a title-unification bout next, but the Englishman's Octagon return appears to be further delayed. His advisor, Eddie Hearn, recently claimed that Aspinall is yet to be cleared by commissions after having multiple eye surgeries stemming from injuries sustained in his first fight with Gane last year. That timeline gap is almost certainly why Pereira sees an opening. If Aspinall isn't medically cleared soon, the UFC has an interim champion without a confirmed next opponent, and Pereira is making sure his name is the first one mentioned.

Betting Angle

Gane closed as the betting favorite last time and delivered exactly what the number suggested, a clinical finish over a natural heavyweight in Pereira. A rematch would likely open with Gane favored again, probably by a wider margin than the first fight given how one-sided the finish was. For bettors, the real variable isn't whether Gane is live here, it's whether this fight gets made at all before Aspinall's status resolves. Until the UFC confirms a next step for the interim title, treat any Pereira-Gane rematch talk as a name being floated rather than a locked booking, and be cautious shopping lines until an actual date is announced.

Pereira remains one of the promotion's biggest draws even in defeat, a former two-division champion whose star power is a big reason this callout is getting attention regardless of where he sits in the heavyweight pecking order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Alex Pereira want a rematch with Ciryl Gane?

Alex Pereira is calling for a rematch because he believes Ciryl Gane landed illegal shots during the finish of their UFC Freedom 250 fight, which Gane won by second-round TKO to claim the interim heavyweight title.

What happened between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250?

Ciryl Gane stopped Alex Pereira via TKO in the second round of their co-main event at UFC Freedom 250 in June, winning the interim UFC heavyweight title.

Is Ciryl Gane still expected to fight Tom Aspinall?

Ciryl Gane was expected to face Tom Aspinall next to unify the heavyweight title, but Aspinall's return has reportedly been delayed while he awaits medical clearance following multiple eye surgeries.