Awesome history was not made.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim Heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane spoiled Alex Pereira’s bid to become the first three-division champion in promotional history, knocking out “Poatan” in the second round tonight (Sun., June 14, 2026) at UFC Freedom 250 live on Paramount+ on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., as UFC celebrated America’s 250th anniversary.
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The first round between Gane and Pereira was competitive, but it seemed like the French striker was getting the better of the Brazilian future Hall of Famer, truly welcoming him to the Heavyweight division.
Then, less than 30 seconds into the second round, Gane put a stamp on his performance.
Gane dropped Pereira with a power jab and immediately started unloading heavy shots. Pereira appeared to be badly hurt — and maybe even out on his feet — but the former Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion somehow survived the initial 30-second onslaught.
Only for so long.
Once Pereira somewhat got his feet back underneath him, Gane kept pouring it on, melting “Poatan” with power shots until the referee had seen enough and stepped in to stop the fight.
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Check out the finish below:
With the win, Gane has seemingly set up a highly anticipated rematch with reigning Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, which should go down later this year.
Maybe in Paris?
Gane (14-2, 1 NC) is now riding a three-fight win streak, with a No-Contest mixed in, and is once again holding interim Heavyweight gold.
As for Pereira (13-4), his dream of becoming UFC’s first-ever three-division champion came crashing down in brutal fashion — at least for now.
When asked afterward if he plans to return to Light Heavyweight, Pereira was noncommittal.
So, yeah, the “Chama” Heavyweight experiment might not be over just yet
For complete UFC Freedom 250 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
