Alex Pereira believes the UFC heavyweight division will not wait around for Tom Aspinall as he prepares for his interim title shot this weekend.
Pereira is set to face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt at UFC Freedom 250, taking place this Sunday, June 14th, on the White House lawn. The bout will be Pereira’s first since October 2024, when he defeated Magomed Ankalaev in the first round to regain the light heavyweight title.
Speaking about Aspinall’s absence, Pereira said, "I don’t think Tom’s going to be ready," and added, "I don’t think he’s even training. He’s recovering from surgery and then training." Aspinall has not fought since an October 2025 no contest against Gane due to a double eye poke and is still awaiting medical clearance to return to full training.
Pereira made it clear he intends to keep moving forward if he gets past Gane. "I’m a guy that, I want to get ready, I want to fight somebody as soon as possible," he said. "I want to get another fight as soon as possible. I want to make sure I finish the year. Again, I’m 38 years old. I ain’t got time to lose. So I need to fight."
Tom Aspinall previously held an interim title and defended it while waiting for Jon Jones, but Pereira says he plans to push ahead with or without a future unification bout if he claims the interim heavyweight crown.
