Ciryl Gane is set to face Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight belt in the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Gane enters the matchup with a 13-2 professional record, including 10-2 in the UFC, while Pereira holds a 19-3 mark in MMA and 11-3 in the UFC. If Gane wins, he would join Justin Gaethje as the only fighters in UFC history with two separate interim title reigns.
“I think to have the belt is something special. It's really complicated to compare it. Both are going to be crazy,” Gane said while discussing what the opportunity means to him.
Gane previously failed to defeat Francis Ngannou in his first title unification attempt, and a win over Pereira could set up a second chance to fight Tom Aspinall if his plans go accordingly.
With the NBA Finals beginning as Victor Wembanyama leads the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks, Gane also highlighted French success in sports. “Wemby, he's got a huge career,” Gane said. “He's really young. His maturity already, he's already a leader. It's completely crazy what he did and what he continues to do. I'm really proud of this guy because he's a French guy. Also Paris just won the Champions League, and I'm going to have the belt. I also hope the French team at the World Cup is going to win also. It's going to be really good.”
