“Avoid a bigger tragedy” – Alex Pereira calls for fair and square rematch against Ciryl Gane

Alex Pereira believes that had it not been for the alleged back-of-the-head shots from Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, he would have recovered from the second-round knockdown and continued fighting. ‘Poatan’ is now targeting a rematch with the Frenchman, hoping for a more favorable outcome under fairer circumstances.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the legendary Brazilian stressed the need for an immediate rematch, arguing that illegal strikes must be dealt with seriously before they cause irreversible damage to an athlete’s health and career:

“I’m just here to avoid a bigger tragedy. If nobody takes any action, something worse can happen with these people. Things happen to me, and I always come back stronger from bad results. All that I want is a rematch to be able to fight fair, to fight square, to fight clean. People don’t wanna see cheating. Now what are we gonna do? We’re gonna wait until Ciryl ends up killing somebody, so we take action?”

Furthermore, the former light heavyweight champion claimed that Gane was there to be beaten on fight night, suggesting he noticed signs of vulnerability from ‘Bon Gamin’ before the bout was stopped:

“Ciryl would not have survived the fight because he doesn’t have the heart. He could see it in his eyes. And I feel that I got robbed in that moment. People were saying Ciryl was lying down because he was celebrating. No, he was that tired. That’s why he had to really hit me with those shots. Yes, we have [already asked for a rematch].”

Check out Alex Pereira’s comments below:

Alex Pereira reveals an ideal rematch timeline

Despite a heartbreaking heavyweight debut loss at UFC Freedom 250, Alex Pereira does not intend to take long before trying to lock in a rematch against Ciryl Gane. The former two-division champion is hoping for a fast turnaround.

During the aforementioned interview, Helwani asked Pereira when he expected to return to the octagon. Pereira revealed that a comeback could come as early as September:

“After the result of the medicals, maybe in September, I’d like to be fighting.” [1:13 mark of the interview]

Quick turnarounds are nothing new for ‘Poatan’. The Brazilian star competed three times in both 2023 and 2024, establishing a reputation as one of the most active champions in the promotion’s history.