Alex Pereira hasn't given up his goal of becoming a three-division UFC champion.
Former two-division champion Pereira (13-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) was finished by Ciryl Gane in their interim heavyweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Despite the disappointing setback, Pereira won't be deterred from making history.
"I take everything one step at a time," Pereira said at Friday's Q&A through an interpreter. "My first goal was to get to the middleweight belt. I got there, won the belt, and then I moved up, won that belt. I just tried going for a third belt. It didn't work out, but I'm very motivated, and I have a lot of willpower to keep going."
Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) will now run things back with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1
UFC) later in the year after their first outing ended in a no contest. In the meantime, Pereira plans on staying active.
"I don't know what's going to happen with Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane," Pereira said. "I want to fight the winner of that fight, but I definitely want to have another fight before that, so we'll see."
Josh Hokit has been actively seeking a fight with Pereira, but "Poatan" is willing to face anyone.
"I don't have an opponent yet," Pereira said. "I still have to sit down with the organization and talk about that. Whoever they put in front of me, I'm fighting them."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alex Pereira eyes November return, then Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane winner
