Ciryl Gane can potentially end up on the throne of UFC's heavyweight division after this weekend and would welcome a challenge from Alex Pereira if 'Poatan' jumped up into the weight category. Gane is vying for the heavyweight crown once again, with the former interim champion hoping that the adage of the third time's the charm will shine through after two failed bids at the undisputed crown previously.
On October 25th, Gane will try to claim the strap from UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, with the title challenger taking part in media obligations at the UFC 321 pre-fight media day proceedings. When an on-site media member mentioned past comments from Pereira about being curious about a heavyweight move and what the former UFC interim champion would think of the UFC's light heavyweight champion moving up, in video footage provided by MMA Junkie, Gane said,
Alex Pereira at heavyweight? Beautiful idea. He’s a very dangerous fighter, very marketable, a beautiful story. He’s built himself so well, and like Jon Jones, he can make that move. It’s exciting to watch.
Ciryl Gane feels no pressure regarding his drought in undisputed UFC title bids
Ciryl Gane does not seem to have a meaningful shadow cast over him from his previous title fights with Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou not panning out for him.
The French fighter was questioned at the same referenced pre-fight media day if those Jones and Ngannou setbacks played into his mindset at all, as Gane stated [via Lowkick MMA],
The pressure is less this time, for sure. I remember my first big fight against Francis Ngannou — the storytelling, the media, everything around it was huge."
"And then there was Jon Jones — still a big fight but a little less noise. For Tom, there’s less pressure again. I feel calmer, more focused.
Gane could also find himself in a similar historical spot to someone like Chael Sonnen insofar as a title challenger who put together a 0-3 ledger in undisputed title bids.