Gane TKO's Pereira, claims interim UFC heavyweight
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- Ciryl Gane stopped Alex Pereira via TKO at 1:27 of the second round in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event, dropping Pereira with a jab before finishing with unanswered elbows and punching combinations along the fence.
- Gane (14-2) previously held an interim heavyweight title in 2021 and is the only heavyweight to have faced Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and now Pereira — going 0-2 with one no-contest against the first three before Sunday.
- Alex Pereira was attempting to become the first UFC fighter to win titles in three weight classes, making his heavyweight debut at 151 pounds after vacating the 205-pound light heavyweight belt in February.
- Tom Aspinall retains the undisputed heavyweight title but has not been cleared for contact after eye surgery; his October fight with Gane in Abu Dhabi ended in a no-contest following an accidental eye poke, and his new advisor Eddie Hearn has publicly objected to his current contract terms.
- Pereira declined to commit on his next move, saying through an interpreter he would 'sit down' with his team — the same approach he used after losing at middleweight in April 2023 — to decide between staying at heavyweight or returning to 205 pounds.
- Gane called for his next bout to take place in Paris in September, telling the crowd 'Thank you, Dana' without speculating on the Aspinall situation.
Why it matters: Gane's win tees up an undisputed title fight with Tom Aspinall, but the path forward depends on Aspinall's medical clearance from eye surgery and resolution of contract friction with new advisor Eddie Hearn. Pereira's three-division title bid is on hold, with his weight class undecided. For Gane, the victory is his first 'clean' win against an elite heavyweight after going 0-2 with a no-contest against Ngannou, Jones, and Aspinall.
