UFC superstar Alex Pereira had the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday’s New York Yankees game in The Bronx.
The Yankees are playing the Texas Rangers tonight in New York. Ahead of the game, Pereira threw out the ceremonial first pitch, the first time that the UFC star has ever done so.
Check out a video of Pereira throwing out the ceremonial first pitch below.
Alex Pereira Returns at UFC Freedom 250
At UFC Freedom 250, Pereira returns to the Octagon when he battles Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. With UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall out with an eye injury, Pereira and Gane will instead meet with interim gold on the line.
For Pereira, this fight represents the chance for him to become the first three-division champion in UFC history. He is already a former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion, so adding the heavyweight belt to his mantle would be a historic feat. Pereira is already one of the best fighters in MMA history, but winning three belts in three different divisions would solidify his place as a legend and potentially put him on the UFC Mt. Rushmore.
Of course, this won’t be an easy fight. Gane is an excellent fighter and is a former interim UFC heavyweight champion in his own right, so this is going to be a very competitive bout. The current betting odds do have Gane slightly shaded as the -115 favorite to win, but Pereira isn’t far behind at -105. After all, he has far more experience in the UFC heavyweight division. But Pereira is the more popular fighter, and popularity is something that tends to have an effect on the betting odds in MMA, so don’t be surprised at all if he ends up as the favorite by the time the fight comes around.
UFC Freedom 250 takes place on Sunday, June 14, on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C. Pereira vs. Gane is the co-main event, with the headliner seeing UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria taking on interim champ Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout.
Alex Pereira Could Fight Tom Aspinall Next
Should Pereira defeat Gane, then he will fight Aspinall next to unify the belts.
Aspinall has not fought since last October, when he suffered a fight-ending eye injury against Gane in a bout that was deemed a No Contest. He has not competed since then due to the injury, though the champ recently shared positive news with his fans, as he is set to return to training very soon. Presumably, the winner of Pereira vs. Gane will fight Aspinall in the main event of a numbered card later this year in what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights of the year.
For Pereira, however, he first needs to take care of business against Gane at UFC Freedom 250. It won’t be an easy fight, but he has the knockout power to get the job done, and it will be interesting to see how he acclimates to his new weight class.
Alex Pereira Throws Out 1st Pitch at New York Yankees Game