Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has expressed his belief that Alex Pereira will emerge victorious by knockout in his upcoming heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane. Dos Santos shared this prediction during a recent interview with Ariel Helwani.
Dos Santos himself is slated to compete this weekend on a Most Valuable Promotions card, facing Robelis Despaigne. Despaigne, an Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist, holds a 5-2 MMA record. Dos Santos, with a professional record of 21-10, including nine UFC wins during his championship reign from 2011 to 2012, will be part of the undercard.
Dos Santos Foresees a Knockout for Pereira’s Heavyweight Debut: “A Great Opportunity”
The much-anticipated matchup between Pereira and Gane is scheduled as the co-main event for UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, taking place at the White House South Lawn in Washington, D.C. The main event will feature Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.
Alex Pereira has moved up to the heavyweight division, relinquishing his light heavyweight belt in pursuit of interim heavyweight gold against Gane. His goal is to become the first three-division UFC champion. Pereira boasts an impressive 13-3 record, with 10 of those wins coming by knockout. He is coming off a dominant first-round stoppage of Magomed Ankalaev. Ciryl Gane’s record stands at 13-2 with one no-contest. His last fight was a 2020 no-contest against Pereira’s soon-to-be opponent due to an eye poke.
Dos Santos highlighted what he perceives as a stylistic advantage for Pereira. Speaking to Helwani, he stated, “I think he’s gonna do very well, actually, especially in this debut against Gane. I think it’s a great fight for him because of his style. At some point, he’s gonna knock Gane out in his heavyweight debut.” Dos Santos further commented that he sees no better initial challenge for Pereira in the heavyweight division. While Gane possesses speed and technical skill, dos Santos believes he lacks the one-punch knockout power that Pereira brings, especially as Pereira presses forward, utilizes angles, and lands powerful strikes.
Pereira has a history of success in the UFC, having started in the middleweight division where he won gold, then captured the light heavyweight title twice before his move to heavyweight. Gane is aiming for his second interim title, having previously vied for one. The current heavyweight king, Tom Aspinall, is sidelined due to an eye injury, making the winner of the Pereira-Gane bout a likely contender for unification.
The White House card also features other notable bouts, including Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi in the bantamweight division, Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy in the lightweight division, Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus in the middleweight division, and Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia in the featherweight division.
Junior dos Santos is familiar with Ciryl Gane, having faced him in a 2020 bout that ended prematurely due to an eye poke. While dos Santos holds no personal animosity, he clearly sees a defined path to victory for Pereira in this contest. This significant event marks a collaboration between the UFC and the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebrations.