Alex Pereira has revealed that he expects to weigh approximately 242lb when he makes his heavyweight debut, as the Brazilian prepares to face Ciryl Gane at a historic UFC event hosted at the White House.
Historic UFC Event at the White House
On 14 June, the UFC will stage an unprecedented event on the South Lawn of the White House, featuring seven fights to celebrate 250 years of the United States. The main event will see Ilia Topuria defend his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje, while the co-main event pits Pereira against Gane for the interim heavyweight belt.
Pereira's Ambition for Three-Weight Champion Status
Pereira, a former middleweight and light-heavyweight champion, aims to become the first three-weight champion in UFC history. Gane, from France, seeks to become a two-time interim heavyweight champion. Discussing his move to heavyweight, Pereira told Paramount: "Well, I think the right moment is now. At certain points before, but I don't really remember when, we could have moved up to heavyweight, but it would have felt a bit forced. Not now. Now it's happening very naturally, in a perfect fight."
Pereira's physical stature made his 2023 move to light-heavyweight (205lb) seem inevitable, given that he previously fought at middleweight (185lb). The 38-year-old expects to be around 242lb against Gane, noting: "Not too heavy. I was heavier before, though. I got up to [258lb] and then I gradually started cutting back down." He also revealed that he once cut from 242lb to 205lb for a light-heavyweight fight, adding: "Now doing the math is difficult."
Benefits of Moving Up in Weight
Pereira highlighted the advantages of competing at heavyweight: "It helps me a lot, because of my diet. I don't have that concern anymore. When I was a middleweight, it was much more complicated. About a month before the fight, I had to cut back heavily on food, maybe even feel a bit weaker. The weight cut was pretty aggressive. Now I don't have that concern anymore and, for me, that's very important."
Pereira last fought in October, knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in 80 seconds to regain the light-heavyweight title. He had lost the belt to Ankalaev via a points defeat in March 2024. Pereira voluntarily vacated the title in February 2025 to move up to heavyweight. His previous achievements include stopping Jiri Prochazka twice, as well as knocking out Khalil Rountree Jr and Jamahal Hill during his light-heavyweight reign. He also became middleweight champion within 12 months of his UFC debut in 2021, defeating Israel Adesanya, though he lost the rematch in 2023.
Gane's Recent Performance
Gane, 36, last competed in October, fighting heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to a no-contest after multiple eye pokes left Aspinall unable to continue. This was Gane's third undisputed title fight, following losses to Francis Ngannou in 2022 and Jon Jones in 2023. Aspinall has since undergone double eye surgery and is expected to return later this year to face the winner of Pereira vs Gane.
