Alex Pereira isn’t showing new undisputed UFC champion Ciryl Gane any respect.
With Tom Aspinall officially vacating the heavyweight title this past Monday due to injury, Gane has officially been promoted from interim to undisputed champion. Aspinall suffered injuries to both eyes when he fought Gane at UFC 321 this past October, when Gane accidentally delivered an eye-poke that led to their bout being ruled a no-contest due to Aspinall being unable to continue. Since then, Aspinall has been out of action,
while Gane went on to win the interim belt with a knockout win over Pereira at UFC White House.
On Wednesday, Pereira took to Instagram to mock Gane’s ascension.
Pereira shared a graphic from MMA News HQ that downplayed Gane’s achievements due to his past title fight losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, and a controversial win over Alexander Volkov. The graphic also references Pereira’s loss to Gane, a result that Pereira has repeatedly claimed was influenced by illegal shots to the back of the head.
“Poatan” added the caption, “Champion” accompanied by three laughing emojis.
It’s not yet clear how the UFC plans to handle Gane’s unexpected reign, with Pereira, Volkov, and the undefeated Josh Hokit all circling a potential opportunity to challenge for the title.
