Alex Pereira Aims for Third UFC Title at Madison Square Garden

Alex Pereira has never been shy about chasing history. Now he wants to do it in the most theatrical setting the UFC can offer: Madison Square Garden, under heavyweight lights, in a grudge rematch with Ciryl Gane.

The Brazilian has laid down his marker. With Tom Aspinall still sidelined and no clear timeline for the undisputed champion’s return, Pereira sees a lane opening at the top of the division—and he’s sprinting for it.

Pereira Targets Third UFC Belt – At MSG

Speaking to UFC Brasil, Pereira spelled out his plan with trademark bluntness. He wants Gane again. He wants the interim heavyweight belt back in play. And he wants it all to happen at UFC 334 on November 14 in New York City.

“I think that’s the fight that makes sense. I really want it to work out, I want to win that third belt. I think I’ve done a lot of things in the UFC, and I think I deserve to have those options. I’d come back at Madison Square Garden, me and Ciryl Gane. If it were up to me, that’s what I’d choose,” Pereira said.

For a man who has already conquered middleweight and light heavyweight, the pitch is simple: let him chase an unprecedented third UFC title while the division’s king heals up.

A Controversial Finish, An Unfinished Story

Gane beat Pereira in June at UFC Freedom 250, stopping him to claim the interim heavyweight belt and secure a future unification bout with Aspinall. On paper, that should have closed the chapter.

It didn’t.

The finish carried baggage. Gane hurt Pereira with shots to the back of the head, illegal blows that immediately sparked debate. The referee allowed the action to continue, Gane closed the show, and the Frenchman walked away with the belt—but not with a clean narrative.

That controversy now fuels Pereira’s push. He wasn’t just beaten; he was stopped in a fight clouded by those illegal strikes. For a champion as proud and decorated as Pereira, that kind of loss lingers.

UFC’s Dilemma at Heavyweight

Under normal circumstances, the UFC rarely rushes back into a rematch when one fighter has been finished in an interim title bout. The promotion prefers fresh matchups, clean stakes, forward motion.

This situation is different.

Aspinall’s injury has frozen the top of the division. The undisputed champion can’t defend. The calendar keeps rolling. The heavyweight belt—interim or not—needs to stay active if the weight class is going to keep any kind of rhythm.

That’s where Pereira’s star power comes in. He is one of the UFC’s most bankable names, a proven headliner, and a fighter who already owns iconic nights at Madison Square Garden. Pair him with Gane, the man who just beat him, and the UFC suddenly has a ready-made storyline to anchor its annual New York showcase.

A controversial stoppage. A chasing legend. An idle champion. An interim belt waiting for a date.

The pieces are on the table. Now the question is whether the UFC is willing to let Alex Pereira roll the dice on greatness one more time, this time in the city where his legend first truly exploded.