ALEX PEREIRA and Ciryl Gane faced off for the penultimate time ahead of the UFC White House showdown.
The pair will vie for the interim heavyweight title in the at 1600 Pennsylvania.
Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane face off #UFCWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/xeFMNofkBJ
— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) June 13, 2026
Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane had their penultimate face off at the UFC White House presser Credit: GETTY
Pereira, 38, let out a primal roar as he held both of his belts after the face off Credit: REUTERS
The build-up between the battle of former kickboxers , 38 and 35 respectively, has been incredibly cordial.
In fact, both men have given glowing reviews of the other’s body of work during their respective stints inside the cage.
The pleasantries continued during this morning‘s final pre-fight presser at the Lincoln Memorial.
But that didn’t stop them from having a fiery staredown, which in large part came from fan Pereira’s ever stoic glare.
Victory over Gane will see further etch his name into the history books, as well as earn a showdown with Brit champ .
He’ll become the first fighter in history to hold belts in THREE different weight classes with a win over the Frenchman.
‘Poatan’ has put on a considerable amount of size ahead of his heavyweight bow.
And he recently on fight night.
Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira throw down on this weekend’s historic UFC White House card Credit: UFC
The pair will vie for the vacant heavyweight title Credit: GETTY
When asked how much heavy he expects to be when he steps inside the octagon, he told Paramount+: “Around [242 pounds]
“Not too heavy, I was heavier before. I got up to [258 pounds] and then I gradually started cutting back down.”
“I was at [242 pounds], then I dropped to [205 pounds]
“Now doing the math is difficult … It helps me a lot because of my diet. I don’t have that concern anymore.
UFC White House card in full
- Ilia Topuira vs. Justin Gaethje – lightweight title unification fight
- Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane – interim heavyweight title
- Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi – men’s bantamweight bout
- Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis – heavyweight bout
- Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler – lightweight bout
- Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus – middleweight bout
- Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia – featherweight bout
“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.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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