Alex Pereira exceeds Ciryl Gane's weight ahead of UFC heavyweight debut

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: (L-R) Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek presents Ciryl Gane of France with the championship bel in the UFC interim heavyweight championship fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Ciryl Gane has a title again after a huge victory over Alex Pereira at UFC White House, but he knows all roads lead to Tom Aspinall. “Bon Gamin” became interim heavyweight champion a second time Sunday, needing less than a round and a half to score a knockout of the fearsome Pereira and prevent him from becoming the UFC’s first three-division titleholder. Afterwards, Gane used his post-fight interview time to call for a rematch with Aspinall of their ill-fated UFC 321 encounter. At that October 2025 show, Aspinall defended his undisputed heavyweight title against Gane, but the fight was over inside of a round after a Gane eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue. The bout was ruled a no-contest and Aspinall has not fought since as he deals with eye injuries, prompting the creation of an interim belt. Gane was later asked if he had anything to say to Aspinall after beating Pereira. “No direct message” Gane said via a French translator at the UFC White House post-fight press conference. “We have unfinished business.” Prior to his fight with Aspinall coming to an unceremonious end, Gane was doing well in the first round, stifling Aspinall’s striking and his attempts to take him down. Gane’s strength and agility were on full display against Pereira, with “Poatan” never finding a rhythm or having Gane in any significant danger. Gane was asked to compare his two most recent opponents. “What’s the main difference between Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall?” Gane said. “Alex Pereira’s a guy who is very strong and a guy that can take your lights out at any moment and Tom Aspinall’s a guy that’s more well-versed and a more complete fighter overall, but those are the main differences.” The UFC is scheduled to return to Paris on Sept. 5 and Gane made it clear he’s fully prepared to be available for that card and would like Aspinall to join him in his home country. “As soon as possible, like I like to say, in Paris for example is a good idea, but I know let the staff of the UFC work on it,” Gane said. UFC CEO Dana White was on the same page as Gane when asked for a possible timetable for the Aspinall rematch. “I’m not thinking even thinking about that right now,” White said. “Ciryl Gane, listen, [it was hard for Pereira] to move up three weight classes in the UFC, and Ciryl looked great tonight. A guy we always say he’s a heavyweight that moves like a middleweight and he definitely looked like one tonight. We’ll get back, I’m going to let my people have some time off this week and then we’ll get back at it and we’ll figure out what’s next.”

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Ciryl Gane of France strikes Alex Pereira of Brazil in the UFC interim heavyweight championship fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Ciryl Gane left no doubt that he is the No. 1 contender after running through Alex Pereira at UFC White House on Sunday. In the UFC White House co-main event, Gane defeated Pereira via knockout in Round 2 to not only become just the second fighter ever to capture two interim UFC titles, but he set himself up for a rematch with undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Gane appeared to be a step ahead for most of the bout, using his speed and agility advantage to foil the dangerous Pereira, who was attempting to become the UFC’s first-ever three-division titleholder after previously winning belts at light heavyweight and middleweight. He rocked Pereira in the second round and methodically pressed the advantage until the bout was waved off. Afterwards, Gane called for a fight with Aspinall at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. The two previously fought at UFC 321, but the matchup ended in disappointment for both men after Gane poked Aspinall in the eyes, rendering him unable to continue and leaving the bout a no-contest. Check out how pros reacted on social media to Gane’s impressive UFC White House win. Gane is looking like “him” right now . Aspinall just changed his phone number and moved to a location unknown ! 😂😂😂#UFCwhiteHouse — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) June 15, 2026 Congratulations to the new heavyweight champion Gane, you looked great out there tonight. ~🐐 — Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 15, 2026 Congratulations Bon Gamin for the wonderful performance. Sincerely, LHC #TrueHeavyweight — Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 15, 2026 What I tell you guys!!! — Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) June 15, 2026 Gane vs aspinal will b fire — Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) June 15, 2026 Gane had a beautiful jab to catch Pereira and went in for the finish. Very impressive… — Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) June 15, 2026 Nice finish by Gane #UFCWhiteHouse — Jillian DeCoursey (@lionheartjill) June 15, 2026 Doesn’t matter what happened, @AlexPereiraUFC is still an idol and inspiration to the world…to go from where he is from to where he is right now, all the risks that he took, all that he did in his UFC career…is one of the GOATS from Brazil and all the UFC! We love you Alex 🙏🏼❤️ — Caio Borralho (@BorralhoCaio) June 15, 2026 How many elbows landed on the back of the head?!#UFCWhiteHouse — Herbert Burns (@HerbertBurnsMMA) June 15, 2026 Damn… — Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) June 15, 2026 Let’s go Gane had him cooked anyways but Who gives a shit if you land an unprotected elbow point to the back of the neck multiple times Bon Gamin 🇫🇷 — “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) June 15, 2026 2x interm champ is insane lol — Johnny Eblen (@JohnnyEblen) June 15, 2026 What an athlete 🔥🔥🔥 — Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) June 15, 2026 Sheesh I knew Gane could win but like that damnnnn 👏👏👏 — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) June 15, 2026

Ciryl Gane is the interim heavyweight champion again after dispatching Alex Pereira

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Ciryl Gane of France strikes Alex Pereira of Brazil in the UFC interim heavyweight championship fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Ciryl Gane is once again the interim heavyweight champion after he stunned and finished Alex Pereira in the UFC White House co-main event. It was a remarkable performance from the Frenchman as he picked Pereira apart on the feet before landing a perfectly timed jab that put the Brazilian down on the canvas. Gane followed with some devasating elbows but once the fight got back on the feet, he just continued dishing out punishment. Another barrage of punches left Pereira out on his feet as the referee finally stepped in to stop the contest with the end coming at 1:27 in round two. CIRYL GANE PUTS POATAN OUT ON THE FEET IN ROUND 2!!!!! 🏆 [ #UFCWhiteHouse | LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VtGog6weDP — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) June 15, 2026 “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. “Next, everybody knows, let’s do that in Paris in September.” The next fight is a title unification bout against Tom Aspinall once his eye heals and he’s ready to compete again. But before he faces Aspinall again, Gane first had to ge through Pereira. Pereira was head hunting early with a pair of head kicks defended well by Gane. The kicks continued but this time Pereira went to the legs while Gane was tossing out his lead jab, although he wasn’t connecting much in the opening exchanges. Gane got more active late in the round and he clipped Pereira with a well-timed combination and followed with a head kick of his own as Pereira was forced to back up and play defense. There were also a couple of brief takedown attempts from Gane that just kept Pereira guessing about his intentions. Just before the horn sounded, Pereira clipped Gane with a slick combination of his own to get Gane’s attention. As the second round got started, Gane’s confidence swelled and that’s when he crushed Pereira with a nasty jab that dropped the former two-division champion to the ground. Gane nearly got a knockout with a series of elbows landing on the side of Pereira’s head but the fight eventually got back to the feet. From there, Pereira just unloaded punches in succession with several shots slipping through Pereira’s defense and just rattling his head before the referee finally stopped the fight. Gane was somehow almost counted out with all the talk about Pereira making history as potentially becoming the first ever three-division champion in UFC history. Instead, Gane is holding UFC gold again and now he awaits the chance to settle his fight with Aspinall to determine the best heavyweight int the sport.

Get Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane full fight video highlights for UFC White House co-main event Sunday night.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: UFC heavyweight fighters Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane face off during the ceremonial weigh-in during the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest on The Ellipse ahead of the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House on June 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump is hosting a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on his 80th birthday on June 14, which the White House is calling "a once-in-a-generation celebration of the American fighting spirit." (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images) | Getty Images This is the UFC White House live blog for Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane, the interim heavyweight championship co-main event Sunday at the White House in Washington, D.C. Pereira (13-3) is currently No. 3 in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings and he can make a case to move up the all-time great list if he defeats Gane to become the first UFC fighter ever to claim titles in three divisions. “Poatan” was previously champion at 185 pounds and 205 pounds. He defeated past kickboxing rival Israel Adesanya to earn the middleweight belt, and then added the light heavyweight belt to his collection by defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295, kicking off a run of three successful title defenses in just seven months. After avenging a loss to Magomed Ankalaev to become light heavyweight champion a second time, Pereira now looks to pull off a feat that would put him in a league of his own. Standing in Pereira’s way is Gane (13-2, 1 NC), hungry to carve out his own space in the record books. The French big man is a former interim champion and has twice challenged for true heavyweight gold, but has twice been denied. His most recent title challenge this past August at UFC 321 ended in disaster when, after a strong start, Gane accidentally poked undisputed champion Tom Aspinall in the eyes, resulting in the bout being ruled a no-contest due to Aspinall being unable to continue. Aspinall has been on the mend since, leaving an opportunity for Gane and Pereira to lock down a fight with Aspinall when he is able to fight again. Check out the UFC White House live blog for Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane below. Preamble This is not a drill: Poatan vs. Bon Gamin is next for the interim heavyweight title. It’s history time for Pereira, attempting to become the first athlete to win UFC titles in three divisions, or Gane once again having the interim belt wrapped around his waist. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Official Decision Post-Fight

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Alex Pereira of Brazil reacts to the crowd during the UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference at the Lincoln Memorial on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) | Zuffa LLC via Getty Images The UFC White House is just hours away. Arguably the biggest UFC event in its short history, the UFC White House card has two of its biggest stars, UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira, anchoring the monumental event. UFC White House start time The UFC White House fight card is scheduled to happen at 8 p.m. ET. UFC White House TV schedule The UFC White House card has seven fights and the entire event airs exclusively on Paramount+. UFC White House weather updates As of midnight ET on Saturday night, the highly anticipated weather forecast is as follows, according to Accuweather. “Hot with intervals of clouds and sun; a heavy thunderstorm late in the afternoon; storms can bring flash flooding and damaging winds.” The real feel for tomorrow is expected to be 100 degrees. A thunderstorm is expected around 6 p.m. ET. The chance of rain increases throughout the night from 34 percent at 8 p.m. to 43 percent at 11 p.m. UFC White House fight card Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia What’s at stake: Ilia Topuria defends his UFC lightweight title against UFC interim lightweight champion in the main event. A superfight with UFC champion Islam Makhachev could be on the table with a win by Topuria. Alex Pereira attempts to become the first UFC fighter to win belts in three divisions when he battles Ciryl Gane for the UFC interim heavyweight title. If Pereira wins, it would set up a massive fight with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who is currently recovering from an eye injury.

UFC White House proceeds with two huge title fights

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: Alex Pereira of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC Freedom 250 Official Weigh-in at JW Marriott on June 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Alex Pereira is more than ready for his first heavyweight fight at UFC White House. At Friday’s official weigh-ins for the historic event, Pereira stepped to the scale at 251 pounds, well above the 205- and 185-pound limit he previously competed at, and three pounds heavier than perennial heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane (248). Pereira can claim an interim title with a win over Gane and make himself the first fighter ever to win UFC titles in three divisions. Headliners Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje also successfully hit championship weight, both at 155 pounds. Topuria looks to unify his undisputed title with Gaethje’s interim title in Sunday’s main event. The other heavyweight bout of the evening featured an even bigger weight discrepancy as veteran Derrick Lewis tipped the scales near the limit at 265 pounds, 34 pounds heavier than the undefeated Josh Hokit. All 14 fighters competing at UFC White House successfully made weight, including former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (135.5), who takes on Aiemann Zahabi (135) in a potential No. 1 contender bout. The official weigh-ins ended strangely with Diego Lopes making a second appearance at the scale after already successfully making the featherweight limit for his opening bout against Steve Garcia. Lopes was announced as being a potential replacement fighter for the UFC White House main event and came in at 154 pounds. Main Card (Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET) Ilia Topuria (155) vs. Justin Gaethje (155) Alex Pereira (251) vs. Ciryl Gane (248) Sean O’Malley (135.5) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (135) Josh Hokit (231) vs. Derrick Lewis (265) Mauricio Ruffy (155) vs. Michael Chandler (156) Bo Nickal (186) vs. Kyle Daukaus (186) Diego Lopes (146) vs. Steve Garcia (146)