Alex Pereira is moving into heavyweight territory, and Michael Bisping sees a real problem with what he watched during Pereira’s rounds with bigger training partners.
Pereira is expected to face Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title at the UFC White House event on June 14. Pereira is 13-3 in MMA, a former UFC middleweight champion, and a former two-time UFC light heavyweight champion. If he beats Gane, he becomes the first fighter in UFC history to win belts in three divisions.
Watch Bisping’s full breakdown below:
“Alex Pereira fought at 185. He fought at 205. And now he’s fighting at heavyweight,” Bisping said. “So he’s going to put on 30 pounds, something like that. So that means he’s going to be slower. It means he’s going to be fighting bigger guys. And it means he’s probably going to be fighting people that can punch harder.”
Bisping said heavyweight preparation means working with heavyweights. Pereira has been doing that, including rounds with Tallison Teixeira, the 9-1 UFC heavyweight who is ranked No. 15.
“What do you do to prepare for such a thing? You spar other heavyweights,” Bisping said. “And lately, some footage has come out, and I got to say, right? I’m going to talk about it, and we’ll watch it in a second. It looks a little concerning for Alex Pereira.”
Alex Pereira ate some big shots while sparring with ranked UFC heavyweight Tallison Teixeira 👀
(via @AlexPereiraUFC) pic.twitter.com/U2vGHn1uRl
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 20, 2026
Bisping Sees A Speed Problem For Pereira Against Gane
Bisping was careful not to bury Pereira over training rounds. He said he has learned not to doubt Pereira after the Brazilian’s title runs and his knockout-heavy climb through MMA, but the exchanges still made him question how Pereira will look against a true heavyweight mover like Gane.
“I always said I would never underestimate Alex Pereira again, surely after he came back and destroyed Magomed Ankalaev in that rematch,” Bisping said. “And people always say, ‘You always bet against Alex Pereira.’ I’m not doing that, right? And it’s not because I’ve got a problem with Alex Pereira.”
Teixeira still had clear moments in the rounds.
“I’m just saying that when I watch this footage of him sparring against Tallison Teixeira… for Alex Pereira going up against Ciryl Gane, you would think that he would be having his way,” Bisping said.
Bisping noted Teixeira landing jabs, firing back, and cracking Pereira with a right hand. If Teixeira can make Pereira look slower in spots, Gane’s movement becomes a serious problem.
“You know that Ciryl Gane is going to have the speed advantage,” Bisping said. “He’s also going to be lighter on the feet.”
Gane is 13-2 with one no contest in MMA, a former interim UFC heavyweight champion, and a former TKO heavyweight champion. He has spent his UFC run fighting at heavyweight, while Pereira is trying to carry his power up another division without losing the timing that made him dangerous at middleweight and light heavyweight.
Bisping also brought up Pereira’s sparring with Robelis Despaigne, the 6-foot-7 Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist who went 1-2 in the UFC and is now 6-2 in MMA. Pereira is already dealing with size, reach, and heavier shots before he gets to Gane.
“It’s sparring footage. You can’t read too much into it,” Bisping said. “But there is more footage as well.”
Bisping said the training talk should not erase Pereira’s actual career.
“None of that stuff matters. It really doesn’t,” Bisping said. “People have good days in the gym, people have bad days in the gym. Alex Pereira, what he’s done with his career, is nothing short of spectacular. And the fact that he’s even in consideration for a third belt is insane.”
Bisping is not saying Pereira is finished. He is saying heavyweight is different, Gane is fast, and those questions remain before Pereira’s move toward heavyweight.
If Pereira lands clean, the heavyweight questions can disappear in one shot. If the extra weight slows him down and Gane controls range like a natural heavyweight striker, the jump from 205 could get ugly fast. Pereira’s title chase is wild because he is trying something nobody in UFC history has pulled off.
