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Dana White confirms Tom Aspinall would fight Pereira if healthy

3 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 11, 2026, 4:43 PM

Last updated Jun 11, 2026

Dana White confirms Tom Aspinall would fight Pereira if healthy

Summary

UFC president Dana White stated that Tom Aspinall would have faced Alex Pereira at the UFC event on the White House South Lawn this weekend, had Aspinall been healthy. Currently recovering from eye surgery, Aspinall remains the heavyweight champion. In his absence, Pereira will compete against Ciryl Gane for the interim title. Aspinall expressed interest in a rematch with Gane for revenge or a potential bout with Pereira, emphasizing both fights would be significant.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Status Watch

•Tom Aspinall is recovering from double eye surgery.
•Alex Pereira faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
•Aspinall's last fight with Gane ended in a no-contest.
•Pereira seeks to become the first fighter with three titles in UFC history.
•Aspinall is keen on facing the winner of Pereira vs. Gane.

Latest Updates

4:43 PMYahoo Sports — Boring fight?! Aspinall, Overeem predict Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane showdown at UFC White House
11:56 AMYahoo Sports — Alex Pereira won’t wait for Tom Aspinall if he wins heavyweight title at UFC White House: ‘I want another fight as soon as possible’
9:00 AMYahoo Sports — Dana White makes huge Tom Aspinall claim about UFC White House fight

What they're saying

"
Alex Pereira, who held championship titles at both middleweight and light heavyweight, is moving up to heavyweight to fight No. 1-ranked Ciryl Gane for the interim 265-pound strap. The winner is expected to unify the titles against injured champion Tom Aspinall at some point later this year. Naturally, the recovering Brit has a vested interest […]
— Yahoo Sports

"
With Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane going down this weekend at UFC Freedom 250 for the interim title, the heavyweight division is on the move. And Pereira has just declared that if Tom Aspinall doesn’t return soon enough, it will move on without him. Aspinall hasn’t fought since an October 2025 ‘No Contest’ where Ciryl […]
— Yahoo Sports