Francis Ngannou is picking Ciryl Gane over Alex Pereira if their interim heavyweight title fight goes down at the UFC White House card.
Ngannou spoke with Helen Yee about the matchup and gave a short, direct answer when asked what Pereira needs to do to beat Gane. Ngannou has firsthand experience with Gane, having defeated him by unanimous decision at UFC 270 on January 22, 2022.
Yee set up the question by pointing to Gane’s history with Ngannou.
“Also in the White House, it’s going to be the interim heavyweight title fight, Alex Pereira versus Ciryl Gane, someone that you fought and you’ve beaten before. So with that fight, what do you think Alex Pereira needs to do to beat Ciryl?”
Ngannou did not offer a detailed path for Pereira.
“I don’t know. I have no idea.”
Watch the full interview below:
Ngannou Says The Style Matchup Favors Gane
Ngannou said Gane’s tools and movement make the fight difficult for Pereira, who would be moving up to heavyweight against one of the division’s most mobile fighters.
“I think Ciryl has more tools here. And then Alex Pereira has his own style. Ciryl Gane has his own style. It’s a very, for me, and I might be wrong, but it’s not a good matchup for Alex Pereira in terms of style. Basically, if he’s moving up to the division and how to face a heavyweight that is even lighter than light heavyweight, lighter on his feet, of course.”
Yee asked if that meant Ngannou favored Gane.
“So do you favor Ciryl?”
Ngannou answered plainly.
“Yeah, I do.”
Pereira’s resume explains why the matchup is interesting. He is a Brazilian former professional kickboxer who became UFC middleweight champion and a two-time UFC light heavyweight champion. His most recent listed MMA fight was a first-round TKO win over Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025, moving his record to 13-3.
Gane brings a different heavyweight profile. He is a French former Muay Thai fighter, a former interim UFC heavyweight champion, and a former TKO heavyweight champion. His most recent listed bout was a no contest against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025 after an accidental eye poke, leaving his record at 13-2 with one no contest.
Ngannou remains one of the few fighters who has already beaten Gane in MMA. He is a former UFC heavyweight champion and the inaugural PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion. His most recent listed MMA fight was a first-round knockout win over Renan Ferreira at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants on October 19, 2024, moving his record to 18-3.
The core of Ngannou’s pick is style. Pereira has the striking credentials and power, but Ngannou sees Gane’s footwork and heavyweight movement as the harder problem.
Pereira has already been building toward the heavyweight move, while Gane has also brought in specific help for the matchup, including former Glory champion Artem Vakhitov.
