Three Belts, Three Divisions, One Man. Pereira Is Five Days From UFC History

In the history of the UFC, eleven fighters have held titles in two different weight classes. Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, Israel Adesanya and there's a few more. Winning gold in two divisions puts you in rare company. Winning it in three has literally never happened though.

Alex Pereira is five days from attempting it.

On Sunday at the White House, Pereira fights Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship. If he wins, he'll have held titles at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Three weight classes, three belts. The first person in UFC history to do it. And he's attempting it on the biggest stage the promotion has ever built.

I've written about a lot of fighters on here. Origin stories on people you've never heard of. Breakdowns on rivalries that go back years. But this one is different because what Pereira is chasing isn't just a title. It's something that's never existed before. And if he pulls it off on Sunday, the conversation about where he sits in UFC history changes permanently. Even the GOAT conversation could change after this.

São Paulo to GLORY

Pereira grew up working class in São Bernardo do Campo, a city in the São Paulo metro area. Started with boxing as a kid. Found kickboxing as a teenager and that's where everything took off.

He signed with GLORY Kickboxing, the biggest promotion in the sport, and became a problem immediately. Won the GLORY middleweight championship in 2017. Defended it five times. Then moved up and won the GLORY interim light heavyweight title in 2019 before becoming the undisputed champion at 205 in 2021.

Two divisions in kickboxing. Two world titles. A 33-7 record with 21 knockouts. And somewhere in the middle of all that, he fought a skinny Nigerian kid named Israel Adesanya twice.

Beat him the first time by decision in 2016. Beat him the second time by knockout in 2017. Left hook. Adesanya went stiff. That knockout followed both of them into MMA and it's still the shadow hanging over everything Adesanya has accomplished since.

Pereira's kickboxing career alone would have been enough for most fighters to retire on. Two GLORY titles. A signature knockout over a future UFC champion. A highlight reel that could fill an hour. But he wanted MMA. So he moved to Connecticut, linked up with Glover Teixeira, and started learning a whole new sport at 34 years old.

Middleweight. Seven Fights to a Title

Pereira's UFC run at middleweight was absurd. Not because of how dominant it was but because of how fast it happened.

UFC debut in November 2021 against Andreas Michailidis. Second round KO. Then a decision over Bruno Silva. Then a first round KO of Sean Strickland at UFC 276. Three fights, all wins. And suddenly he had a title shot.

UFC 281 in November 2022. Pereira vs Adesanya III. The kickboxing rivalry crossing over to MMA with the UFC middleweight title on the line. Adesanya was winning the fight on the scorecards through four rounds. Pereira was down but then round five happened.

Left hook. The same shot that knocked Adesanya out in kickboxing. Adesanya stumbled and Pereira took advantage. TKO at 2:01 of the fifth round, new champion. Seven UFC fights total from debut to title. The fastest two division title run in UFC history was already being set up because Pereira had no intention of staying at 185.

He lost the belt back to Adesanya at UFC 287 in April 2023. Second round KO. Most fighters would have demanded a trilogy at middleweight. Pereira looked at the scale, looked at what the weight cut was doing to his body, and said "I'm going up."

That decision is what separates him from everyone else who's ever held two titles.

Light Heavyweight. The Best Run in 205 History

Pereira moved to light heavyweight in July 2023 and beat Jan Blachowicz by second round KO. A former champion. Finished inside two rounds. The power translated up in weight and honestly it looked even scarier at 205 because he wasn't draining himself to make 185 anymore.

Then came UFC 295 in November 2023. Pereira vs Jiří Procházka for the vacant light heavyweight title. Second round TKO. New champion. A two division titleholder in seven fights at middleweight and two at light heavyweight. Nine UFC fights total. Nobody had ever done it that fast.

The defenses are where the legend really got built though.

UFC 300 in April 2024. The promotion needed a star for its landmark card. Pereira stepped up on short notice and knocked out Jamahal Hill in the first round. Then Procházka got the rematch at UFC 303 in June 2024 and Pereira put him away in 13 seconds. Thirteen. One of the fastest title fight finishes in UFC history. Then Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 in October 2024. Fourth round TKO. Three title defenses in eight months. Each one a finish.

He lost the belt to Magomed Ankalaev and the "Poatan era is over" takes flooded the internet. Seven months later he knocked Ankalaev out at UFC 321 and took it back. Then he did something nobody expected.

He vacated the light heavyweight title.

The Heavyweight Move

Pereira didn't lose the belt this time. He gave it up. Voluntarily walked away from a championship he'd defended three times and avenged his only loss in to chase something that has never been achieved in the UFC.

"I don't have too much time left," Pereira told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. He's 38. Turns 39 in July. The window for attempting something historic is closing and he knows it.

He walks around at roughly 240 pounds. The heavyweight limit is 265. For the first time in his UFC career, the weight cut isn't the enemy. He's actually fighting closer to his natural size than he ever has before.

GSP saw Pereira in person recently and his reaction was "this is unbelievable." The man who is arguably the GOAT was stunned at Pereira's physical presence at heavyweight. And GSP has been around big fighters his entire life.

Gane brought in Mory Kromah, a GLORY heavyweight kickboxing champion with a 37-3-1 record, specifically to simulate Pereira's striking for camp. That tells you how seriously the heavyweight division is taking this. The man coming up from 205 has a kickboxing pedigree so elite that you need another GLORY champion just to replicate what he does in training.

What Sunday Actually Means

Ciryl Gane (13-2, 10-2 UFC) is not a stepping stone. The man is a former interim heavyweight champion. He fought for the undisputed belt against Ngannou. He's challenged for heavyweight gold three times. He's 6'4", 245 pounds, technically brilliant, and has the kind of movement that shouldn't exist for a man his size.

The interim belt exists because Aspinall had double eye surgery and can't fight. That's the only reason Pereira has this opportunity at all. If Aspinall was healthy, Pereira would be fighting for a shot at the undisputed belt, not the interim. The timing worked in his favor and he took the opportunity without hesitation.

But the fact that it's an interim title doesn't diminish what Pereira is attempting. He'd still be holding gold in three different UFC weight classes. The belt is real. The accomplishment is real. And Gane is a legitimate top heavyweight who isn't going to make this easy.

If Pereira wins, he joins a category of one. Not "one of the greatest." THE only. The first and only three division champion in UFC history. McGregor won at featherweight and lightweight and fought at welterweight but never held a third belt. Cormier won at light heavyweight and heavyweight but never attempted a third division. Nobody has done what Pereira is about to attempt because nobody has been crazy enough to vacate a title they just reclaimed in order to chase something unprecedented.

The Criticism

I'll be honest about the criticism because it's real and it's fair.

Pereira's light heavyweight reign happened in the post-Jones era. Jones left 205 for heavyweight and the division was wide open. His heavyweight shot is happening while Aspinall and Jones are both unavailable. The two biggest heavyweights on the planet aren't in the picture.

Yahoo Sports put it perfectly. "It feels a little like he's partying while the landlords are away."

And his MMA record is 13-3. That's elite. But it's not 20 fights deep with a decade of dominance. He's lost three times in twelve UFC bouts. Two of those losses were avenged. One wasn't (Adesanya II). The resume is spectacular but short.

All of that is true. And none of it matters on Sunday. Because whoever is available, whoever is in the cage across from him, Pereira still has to fight them. And on Sunday the man across from him is Ciryl Gane. A 6'4" former interim champion who's been in the cage with Ngannou, Aspinall, Tuivasa, and Lewis. That's not a cupcake.

Pereira doesn't get to control who's available. He can only fight who's in front of him. And what he's done with the opponents he's faced is unlike anything the sport has ever seen across a three division span.

Five Days

Alex Pereira left São Paulo as a teenager. Won two GLORY kickboxing world titles. Knocked out the future UFC middleweight champion twice. Moved to MMA at 34. Won the UFC middleweight belt in seven fights. Lost it and moved UP instead of complaining. Won the light heavyweight belt in two fights. Defended it three times. Lost it. Won it back. Vacated it voluntarily. And is now fighting for the heavyweight interim title on the White House lawn at 38 years old because he wants something that has never existed before.

Nobody forced him to do this. He could have stayed at 205 and defended that belt for another two years. He could have milked the light heavyweight reign until his body couldn't handle it anymore. Instead he gave the belt away and bet on himself to make history.

Sunday at the White House. Pereira vs Gane. Three divisions. Three belts. Something that's never been done.

If he pulls it off, we'll remember exactly where we were when it happened.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions

Has anyone ever won titles in three UFC divisions?

No. No fighter in UFC history has ever held championships in three different weight classes. Alex Pereira would be the first if he defeats Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. Eleven fighters have previously won titles in two divisions.

What titles has Pereira held?

Pereira won the UFC middleweight championship by defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in November 2022. He then won the UFC light heavyweight championship by defeating Jiří Procházka at UFC 295 in November 2023. He vacated the light heavyweight title in 2026 to pursue the heavyweight championship.

What is Pereira's record?

Pereira is 13-3 overall in MMA and 10-2 in the UFC. In kickboxing, his record was 33-7 with 21 knockouts. He held GLORY world titles in both middleweight and light heavyweight.

Why is the heavyweight title fight an interim bout?

Undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is recovering from double eye surgery after Ciryl Gane accidentally poked both his eyes at UFC 321 in October 2025. The interim title was created so the heavyweight division could continue moving forward during Aspinall's recovery.

When and where is the fight?

Pereira vs Gane takes place at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, June 14, 2026 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. The event airs on Paramount+.

What did Pereira say about the move to heavyweight?

Pereira told Ariel Helwani "I don't have too much time left" when asked about chasing a third title. He's 38 years old and turns 39 in July 2026. He walks around at approximately 240 pounds, close to the heavyweight limit, and has said the lack of a drastic weight cut benefits him.