Alex Pereira wants Ciryl Gane rematch following ‘illegal shots’ controversy

Alex Pereira is campaigning for a rematch with Ciryl Gane following their controversial interim heavyweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250 in June at the White House. Pereira, a former two-division UFC champion, lost that bout and has now taken to social media to call for a second meeting with the Frenchman, citing illegal shots as a factor in how the fight concluded.

"After much time resting and doing what I needed to do, after much work, after my last fight, many people are talking about who will Alex fight," Pereira said in an Instagram video. "I'm seeing many opinions, but I think the fight that makes sense is Ciryl Gane. That's the fight. I'm going to work on that and from what I'm seeing, it's something that's going to happen. How the last fight ended: there were illegal shots."

Gane's next challenger remains uncertain. He was anticipated to face Tom Aspinall in a title-unification bout, but Aspinall's return continues to face delays. Eddie Hearn, Aspinall's advisor, recently revealed that the Englishman has yet to receive clearance from athletic commissions following multiple eye surgeries stemming from injuries he sustained in his first fight against Gane last year. The holdups surrounding Aspinall's medical status have created an opening for Pereira's rematch push to gain traction with UFC matchmakers.