Alex Pereira‘s bid for a historic achievement was denied Sunday.
At UFC Freedom 250, Ciryl Gane played the spoiler. Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) brutalized Pereira (13-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) for a merciful TKO stoppage from referee Herb Dean at 1:27 of Round 5. The interim heavyweight title fight took place at the White House.
The opening round was technical, and fairly even. Pereira stung Gane at the bell, but there was no significant damage absorbed by either man. But in the second, that changed. Gane dropped Pereira and brutally battered him. Pereira seemed to be walking the tight rope between consciousness and unconsciousness, but grabbed hold of a leg and eventually got up.
Pereira was split open under his right eye and took a big breath. Gane continued to slice and dice him with big punches and short elbows in the clinch. Big shot after big shot landed on Pereira’s head – and eventually referee Dean saw enough.
CIRYL GANE PUTS POATAN OUT ON THE FEET IN ROUND 2!!!!! 🏆
[ #UFCWhiteHouse | LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VtGog6weDP— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) June 15, 2026
HE JUST DID THAT 😮💨@Ciryl_Gane creates an unforgettable moment as he earns the RD2 TKO victory!#UFCWhiteHouse LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus!
[ Title fights presented by @Cryptocom ] pic.twitter.com/3gzvdR4kqe— UFC (@ufc) June 15, 2026
With the win, Gane becomes interim champion for the second time and aligns himself for another showdown with Tom Aspinall. The two competed in October when their bout ended in a no contest due to an eye poke – one that has rendered Aspinall unable to compete since.
Pereira’s bout Sunday marked his heavyweight debut. Already having held the middleweight and light heavyweight titles, Pereira sought a third divisional title but came up short. He’s lost two of his most recent three
Up-to-the-minute UFC Freedom 250 results include:
- Ciryl Gane def. Alex Pereira via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:27 – for interim heavyweight title
- Sean O’Malley def. Aiemann Zahabi via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:02
- Josh Hokit def. Derrick Lewis via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:09
- Mauricio Ruffy def. Michael Chandler via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:29
- Bo Nickal def. Kyle Daukaus via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:34
- Diego Lopes def. Steve Garcia via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 2:42
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250 results: Alex Pereira pummeled by Ciryl Gane
