TLDR
- Alex Pereira criticized Ciryl Gane’s promotion to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion on Instagram
- Gane became undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the title due to eye injury complications
- Pereira continues to claim Gane defeated him in June with illegal strikes to the back of his head
- A Gane vs. Pereira rematch appears to be the next heavyweight title fight
- Other contenders Josh Hokit and Alexander Volkov have been passed over despite strong cases for title shots
Sources: mmamania.com | mmamania.com | bbc.com
Alex Pereira has made his feelings clear about Ciryl Gane’s new status as undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. The Brazilian fighter posted on Instagram calling Gane’s title promotion “same circus, different belt.”
Gane was elevated from interim to undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the heavyweight title. Aspinall gave up the belt due to further complications from an eye injury that originally occurred during his fight with Gane nearly a year ago.
Pereira has maintained since their June fight at UFC White House that Gane only beat him because of illegal strikes. The Brazilian was stopped in the second round of what would have been his historic bid to become the UFC’s first three-weight champion.
Pereira Questions Gane’s Resume
The Instagram post shared by Pereira included a graphic breaking down Gane’s heavyweight career. It listed losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, called the Alexander Volkov rematch “daylight robbery,” and claimed “10 illegal head shots to Potan.”
Pereira has repeatedly called for referee Herb Dean to be removed from officiating. He claims Gane was “dead tired” after the first round and had to resort to illegal shots to the back of his head to win the fight.
Heavyweight Alex Pereira looking SCARY😳
(Via @AlexPereiraUFC)
— sarm38 #VanFC🇲🇲 (@sarm38167885) September 16, 2026
Gane has denied using illegal strikes during their bout. The Frenchman, 36, is now in his second stint as interim heavyweight champion and has lost both previous attempts at winning the undisputed title.
Pereira stated earlier this month that he expects the rematch to happen. “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,” he said on social media.
Other Contenders Left Waiting
The anticipated rematch has frustrated other heavyweight contenders. Josh Hokit has openly complained about being passed over for a title shot in favor of Pereira, who has yet to win a UFC fight at heavyweight.
Alexander Volkov also has a strong case for a title opportunity. Many observers believe Volkov deserved the decision victory in his rematch with Gane, and the UFC promised to make it up to him.
Despite these complaints, sources indicate Gane vs. Pereira is the likely next heavyweight title fight. Pereira remains one of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view draws, which appears to be the deciding factor.
The 39-year-old Brazilian achieved the fastest run to two-division champion status in UFC history. He won the middleweight and light-heavyweight titles in just seven fights combined.
Aspinall’s return date remains unknown, though he has been cleared to return to training. The British fighter has stated he has no plans to leave the UFC or retire from competition.
If Aspinall cannot return in 2026, Gane may defend his title rather than wait for the undisputed bout. The rematch with Pereira would give both fighters a chance to settle their ongoing dispute about how their first fight ended.
