Alex Pereira has made it clear that he has no intention of waiting around for Tom Aspinall to recover from eye surgery, insisting that he wants to stay active and compete again as soon as possible following this weekend’s UFC White House event.
Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is set to face Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the interim UFC heavyweight title this Sunday in what could be a historic night for the Brazilian superstar. Already a former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion, Pereira is aiming to become the first fighter in UFC history to win championship gold in three different weight classes.
The former GLORY Kickboxing two-division champion has enjoyed a remarkable rise since joining the UFC in 2021, and another title victory would further cement his legacy as one of the sport’s most accomplished combat sports athletes.
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has been sidelined since suffering an eye injury during his first official heavyweight title defense against Gane at UFC 321 last October. The British heavyweight is currently recovering from surgery, leaving uncertainty over when he will be able to return to competition.
Speaking with TNT Sports ahead of his clash with Gane, Pereira was asked whether he would be interested in facing Aspinall if he captures the interim heavyweight championship this weekend.
“I don’t think that Tom’s going to be ready,” Pereira said. “I don’t think he’s even training, he’s recovering from surgery. I don’t think so.”
Rather than waiting for Aspinall to return, Pereira emphasized his desire to remain as active as possible, especially given the stage of his career.
“I’m a guy that wants to get ready to fight somebody as soon as possible, I want to get another fight as soon as possible, I want to make sure I finish the year (as strongly as possible),” Pereira said.
At 38 years old, Pereira knows that every opportunity matters and is eager to maximize the remaining years of his fighting career.
“I’m 38 years old, I ain’t got time to lose, so I need to fight,” Pereira added. “I love this… this is my life!”
