Pereira chases unprecedented third UFC title belt against Gane on June 14

Alex Pereira will attempt to make UFC history on June 14 when he faces Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of UFC White House, with a victory making him the first fighter ever to hold titles in three different weight classes in the organisation.

The Brazilian, known as “Poatan,” already holds two UFC championship reigns and two belts from Glory Kickboxing — a record built from an unlikely starting point. Seventeen years ago, Pereira was working at a tire shop and struggling with alcoholism before enrolling in kickboxing at the age of 21, a decision he credits with transforming his life.

For Pereira, the potential third belt carries a weight that goes beyond sporting achievement. Speaking ahead of the fight, he drew a clear distinction between this title and the ones he has already won.

“For me, it will be something very special. Unique,” Pereira said. “This will only happen once, it’s a unique belt. Many have the UFC belt, but this one is different, so it will symbolize everything I’ve been through, all the difficulties to get there.”

The 37-year-old’s rise through combat sports remains one of the more remarkable stories in MMA. Beginning his martial arts career at an age when most fighters are already established professionals, Pereira went on to capture kickboxing world titles before transitioning to MMA and eventually dethroning Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title in 2022. He later moved up to light heavyweight and claimed that title as well.

Gane, a former interim UFC heavyweight champion, represents a significant step up in size for Pereira, who will be moving into the heavyweight division for this bout. The Frenchman’s technical striking and movement will test Pereira in ways his previous opponents have not, making the June 14 card one of the more compelling matchups on the UFC calendar this year.