Alex Pereira has made it clear that his pursuit of UFC history is far from over. Despite falling short in his bid to become a three division champion, the Brazilian knockout artist remains committed to the heavyweight division and has already outlined his path back to another title opportunity.
Following his TKO loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, Pereira confirmed that he has no intention of waiting for the expected heavyweight title unification bout between undisputed champion Tom Aspinall and interim champion Gane. Instead, he wants another fight before challenging for the winner.
The statement offers fresh insight into Pereira’s mindset after suffering only the third UFC defeat of his career.
Alex Pereira refuses to abandon his heavyweight dream
Alex Pereira entered UFC Freedom 250 with an opportunity to make history by becoming the first fighter to capture UFC titles in three different weight classes.
After winning championships at middleweight and light heavyweight, the Brazilian moved to heavyweight to challenge Ciryl Gane for the interim title. However, the gamble ended in disappointment as Gane secured a second round TKO victory on the historic White House card.
Rather than returning to light heavyweight, Pereira has doubled down on his ambitions at heavyweight.
Speaking during a UFC fan question and answer session before UFC Belgrade, Pereira explained that his motivation remains unchanged.
Since I entered the organization, I always take one step at a time. My objective was to get to the belt, to become champion, and I was able to do that. Then I moved up a division. That was my idea, to become champion in another division. I went after the third belt. This time, this fight did not work out, but I have a lot of willpower and I am very excited for my next fight.
One more fight before another title shot
The heavyweight division is expected to move forward with a championship unification bout between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane after their first meeting ended in a no contest because of an eye injury suffered by Aspinall.
While many assumed Pereira would wait for that fight to conclude, the former champion has different plans.
I do not know what will happen, and I do not know how long that fight will take. For sure I want to fight before, and after that I want to fight for the belt.
The comments suggest Pereira is targeting a November return before positioning himself for another title opportunity in 2027.
When asked about a potential opponent, Pereira remained open to any matchup.
I do not have an opponent yet. I still have to sit down with the organization and talk about that. Whoever they put in front of me, I’m fighting them.
Tom Aspinall edges closer to his return
Alex Pereira’s plans come as Tom Aspinall continues recovering from the eye injury that halted his first title defense against Gane.
The British heavyweight champion recently confirmed he has returned to full training following surgery on both eyes and is in discussions with the UFC regarding the highly anticipated rematch.
Their first encounter ended without a winner after repeated eye pokes left Aspinall unable to continue because of double vision.
Gane later captured the interim heavyweight title by defeating Pereira, earning another opportunity to challenge for the undisputed championship.
The rematch now appears to be one of the UFC’s biggest priorities.
Pereira still questions the officiating
Although Pereira has accepted the loss, he continues to believe the officiating influenced the outcome.
The Brazilian has repeatedly criticized referee Herb Dean for failing to intervene after what Pereira described as illegal strikes to the back of his head during the fight against Gane.
Pereira has even called for Dean to be removed from officiating future UFC events, making it one of the strongest public criticisms of a referee from an active UFC star in recent years.
Despite those frustrations, Pereira’s focus has shifted toward earning another opportunity rather than dwelling on the defeat.
Heavyweight remains one of the UFC’s deepest divisions
The UFC heavyweight division is entering one of its most competitive periods in years.
Tom Aspinall currently holds the undisputed championship after being promoted from interim champion following Jon Jones’ retirement. Ciryl Gane is once again interim champion after defeating Pereira, while several contenders continue to climb the rankings.
Pereira’s arrival has added another major attraction to the division.
The Brazilian owns a professional MMA record of 13 wins and four losses and has already become one of the UFC’s biggest global stars. Before joining the promotion, he established himself as one of kickboxing’s greatest champions, winning multiple GLORY world titles.
Inside the UFC, Pereira became the fastest fighter to win championships in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, cementing his legacy as one of the organization’s most accomplished athletes.
History still drives Pereira
Few fighters have chased greatness as aggressively as Alex Pereira.
Rather than taking easier fights after losing his first heavyweight title opportunity, he wants to remain active and earn another chance through performances inside the Octagon.
If Pereira secures a victory in his next outing, another meeting with either Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane could quickly become one of the UFC’s biggest championship fights.
His path has become more difficult after UFC Freedom 250, but the Brazilian has shown throughout his combat sports career that setbacks rarely slow his pursuit of history. With another heavyweight appearance already on his mind, Pereira’s quest to become the UFC’s first three division champion is still very much alive.
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