The UFC heavyweight title is officially vacant, and get this: UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman thinks Alex Pereira is gonna get his wish for a rematch with Ciryl Gane.
Pereira (13-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) has been relentlessly campaigning to run it back with Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC). Their interim heavyweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250 in June ended with Pereira losing via second-round TKO. He’s been screaming about getting hit by numerous illegal blows to the back of his head during the fight-ending sequence and even went off on referee Herb Dean for mishandling the bout.
This whole mess started when champion Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) got sidelined. Gane poked him in the eye during their UFC 321 title fight last October. Aspinall and Gane were gearing for a late 2026 rematch, but ongoing complications forced Aspinall to vacate his UFC heavyweight title. Now, suddenly, the biggest prize in the heavyweight division is up for grabs.
Star Power Over Rightful Contender?
So, who steps up for the gold? Both Pereira and Josh Hokit (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) are campaigning for the vacant title shot. But Weidman, dropping truth bombs on “Deep Waters,” says “Poatan” is the one. His reasoning? He’s simply the “biggest star.” Seriously, that’s the logic.
Weidman even admitted, “If we’re going off rightful, he probably shouldn’t get the opportunity, but I think he’s probably the frontrunner to get a rematch. … I’m against that too, but I think that’s just the way the sport is now. They want to see the biggest fights , the biggest, most exciting fights for the belt.” It’s a frustrating take if you believe in pure contendership, but you can’t argue with the star power in today’s UFC.
The rest of the panel on “Deep Waters” pitched Pereira vs. Hokit, but Weidman shut that idea down. He sees Pereira vs. Gane as the most likely scenario for the title, with Hokit being a distant second. Hokit, by the way, has had two huge moments recently. He finished Derrick Lewis, which Weidman called a “very good matchup” since Lewis isn’t highly ranked. Plus, his fight against Curtis Blaydes was one of the Fights of the Year. Those are serious credentials, but apparently, “biggest star” trumps all.
So, who gets the shot for that vacant heavyweight strap? Weidman’s put his chips on Pereira vs. Gane. It’s wild to think a guy who just got TKO’d in June is the frontrunner, but hey, that’s the fight game right now. We’ll be watching to see who steps into the Octagon for that undisputed belt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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