UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane said that he is open to a rematch against rival Alex Pereira in his next fight.
Gane knocked out Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the promotion’s interim heavyweight belt, but the fight was not without controversy, as several of the punches and elbows that hurt Pereira were to the back of his head.
Referee Herb Dean, however, did not penalize Gane for the infractions, and he won the interim belt, which earned him a title shot against UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
But with Aspinall still not cleared to fight due to his eye injury, Gane is now saying he is open to fighting Pereira again.
Ciryl Gane Open to Fighting Alex Pereira Again
Speaking to RMC Sport, Gane said that while the goal is still a heavyweight title unification bout against Aspinall, if the Brit isn’t ready to go, then he’s open to a rematch against Pereira instead.
“We’re not sure (who the next opponent will be). We don’t know if there is a rematch against Tom Aspinall. We want it. The UFC talks about it with (coach/manager) Fernand (Lopez), so we focus on Tom Aspinall. If tomorrow it will be someone else, it’s okay. What I would like is either Tom Aspinall or a rematch against Alex Pereira,” Gane said (via Bloody Elbow).
What Will the UFC Do?
It will certainly be interesting to see how the UFC fixes the situation at heavyweight, as fans all want to see Aspinall vs. Gane 2, but it might not happen if the champ can’t get the clearance to fight again due to his eye injury.
If that’s the case, then the promotion cannot just keep waiting around for Aspinall to get back to full health, and instead could match up Gane with Pereira for the second time.
Pereira also doesn’t have a fight booked right now, though he has been linked to a potential matchup against rival Josh Hokit, so we’ll see what happens there.
But if Aspinall cannot fight anytime soon, then don’t be surprised at all if Gane fight Pereira once again.
Ciryl Gane Open to Alex Pereira UFC Heavyweight Rematch