‘Aspinall just changed his phone number’: Pros react to Ciryl Gane’s knockout of Alex Pereira at UFC White House

Ciryl Gane cemented his status as the UFC's mandatory heavyweight contender by dismantling Alex Pereira at UFC White House on Sunday, securing a second-round knockout and reclaiming the interim heavyweight title.

Fighting in the co-main event, Gane controlled the bout from start to finish, leveraging his superior speed and technical striking to neutralize Pereira's dangerous offense. The French heavyweight rocked Pereira in the second round with a precise strike, then relentlessly pressed his advantage with follow-up punches and elbows until the referee halted the contest.

The victory was particularly significant because Pereira had entered the bout seeking to become the UFC's first-ever three-division champion, having previously held belts at middleweight and light heavyweight. Instead, Gane became only the second fighter in UFC history to capture two interim titles, following in the footsteps of Justin Gaethje.

Immediately after his win, Gane called for a title unification bout against undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall at UFC Paris on September 5. The two fighters previously met at UFC 321 in a matchup that ended in a no-contest after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in the eyes. The social media reaction to Gane's dominant performance was swift and emphatic, with fellow professionals acknowledging his status as Aspinall's rightful challenger.