Alex Pereira’s historic bid to become the first three-division champion in UFC history was brutally halted by France’s Ciryl Gane. Fighting the Brazilian at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, Gane knocked out Pereira in the second round of the co-main event to win the interim heavyweight title.
Gane’s sharp jabs left Pereira helpless in the second round, as the Frenchman punished the Brazilian by repeatedly finding openings through his defence. Referee Herb Dean was reluctant to stop the fight immediately, which only subjected Pereira to more punishment before the contest was waved off.
The trouble began when Pereira was caught advancing in the second round. Gane spotted the opening and landed a clean right hand that jolted the Brazilian. Pereira then absorbed multiple blows to the face. The former champion showed remarkable resilience to get back on his feet, but he stood little chance once Gane launched a second wave of attacks and forced the stoppage.
Gane later revealed that he had worked on the finish with his team before the event and had felt confident heading into the fight. Pereira, ever the respectful sportsman, walked up to congratulate Gane soon after getting back to his feet.
“We worked on it,” Gane said about his finish.
“I’m really proud of myself, really proud of my team. We knew it was possible to do that. We knew, everybody knows I’m a great athlete. I’m really technical but people underestimate me. We will see. Now I just want to say thank you,” he added.
Pereira remained coy about his future and whether he would continue at heavyweight or move back down a division. The Brazilian said he would sit with his team and reassess, much like they had done after losing to Israel Adesanya at middleweight back in 2023.
ALEX PEREIRA’S 2 UFC TITLES
Pereira’s first UFC title arrived at UFC 281 in November 2022, when he challenged Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship at Madison Square Garden.
The matchup carried years of history. Pereira had already beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing, but many still viewed the Brazilian as an outsider in MMA, having entered the title fight with only seven professional bouts to his name.
For four rounds, Adesanya looked in control and appeared on course to retain his belt. Pereira, however, never changed his approach. He continued to pressure, attack the legs and force exchanges. Then, with just over two minutes left in the fifth round, he trapped Adesanya against the cage and unleashed a barrage that forced a stoppage and completed one of the fastest rises to a UFC title in modern history.
The reign did not last long. Adesanya reclaimed the title in the rematch months later, but Pereira made a decision that would come to define his UFC career: instead of rebuilding at middleweight, he moved up.
That move brought him to another title opportunity less than a year after becoming champion.
At UFC 295 in November 2023, Pereira faced former champion Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight belt, again at Madison Square Garden.
The fight represented a major test. Prochazka was larger, unconventional and carried one of the strongest finishing records in the division. Pereira responded by doing what had brought him success before: staying patient until the opening appeared.
After a competitive opening round, Pereira began to break Prochazka down with leg kicks and counters. Midway through the second round, he landed a left hand that hurt the Czech fighter before finishing the sequence with elbows on the ground to secure the stoppage and become UFC light heavyweight champion. The victory made him a two-division UFC champion only 11 professional MMA fights into his career.
However, on Sunday night in Washington DC, Pereira could not rise to the occasion. He was dominated by Gane in the second round, bringing an abrupt end to his attempt to create UFC history.
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