Phil De Fries, a teammate of Tom Aspinall, has claimed that Alex Pereira previously turned down an opportunity to fight Tom Aspinall. De Fries stated that while he believes Aspinall is better than Ciryl Gane, the matchup would have been an excellent fight for Tom. The post includes a poll asking fans which opponent they believe would be more stylistically difficult for Pereira between Aspinall and Gane. The claim suggests Pereira may be selective about heavyweight opponents despite his willingness to fight across weight classes. No official confirmation or details about when this offer was made have been provided.
A teammate of UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has claimed that light heavyweight king Alex Pereira previously passed on a fight with the Englishman, though the report remains unconfirmed by any official source.
Phil De Fries, who trains alongside Aspinall at Team Kaobon, made the assertion publicly, suggesting Pereira had an opportunity to face Aspinall at heavyweight and declined. De Fries also stated his belief that Aspinall would present a tougher test for Pereira than Ciryl Gane, while acknowledging a matchup between Aspinall and "Poatan" would still have been a compelling fight. No timeline or specific details about when or how the offer was made have been provided, and neither Pereira's camp nor the UFC has confirmed the claim.
Aspinall, 33, carries a 15-3 record and holds the UFC heavyweight title. The six-foot-five Manchester native is one of the division's most dangerous finishers, landing an exceptional 7.63 significant strikes per minute at 67 percent accuracy while also mixing in 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes. He sits sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings.
Pereira, 38, is the reigning light heavyweight champion out of Brazil with a 13-4 record. Standing six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, "Poatan" has made a habit of competing across weight classes during his UFC tenure, making De Fries' claim that he declined this particular matchup noteworthy if accurate.
Gane, ranked second in the heavyweight division at 14-2, is the Frenchman drawn into the comparison. The six-foot-four "Bon Gamin" carries an 81-inch reach advantage over most opponents and lands 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- The unconfirmed claim raises questions about Pereira's willingness to engage top-ranked heavyweights despite his cross-divisional reputation
- Aspinall's striking output and grappling credentials make him a uniquely dangerous stylistic problem at 265 pounds
- Gane's standing as the division's second-ranked contender places both men firmly in the conversation around Pereira's next move
