Tom Aspinall's teammate Phil De Fries stated that Alex Pereira previously turned down an opportunity to fight Aspinall. De Fries believes Aspinall is better than Ciryl Gane and would present a stylistically interesting challenge for Pereira. The post asked followers to vote on which fighter would be a more difficult stylistic matchup for Pereira. Details about when the alleged offer was made or the circumstances surrounding Pereira's decision were not provided. This adds context to ongoing speculation about potential heavyweight fights for the light heavyweight champion.
Phil De Fries, a heavyweight teammate of UFC champion Tom Aspinall, has claimed that light heavyweight king Alex Pereira previously passed up a chance to fight Aspinall — though the report is unconfirmed and details remain scarce.
De Fries, who trains alongside Aspinall at Team Kaobon, made the assertion publicly and also posed a question to followers asking which fighter — Aspinall or Ciryl Gane — would represent the tougher stylistic test for Pereira. He made clear he believes Aspinall would be the more difficult matchup of the two.
Aspinall, 33, is the reigning UFC heavyweight champion out of England, carrying a 15-3 record and sitting sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings. At six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach, he is a physically imposing presence who also brings elite volume and precision: he lands 7.63 significant strikes per minute at a 67 percent accuracy rate, figures that rank among the best in the division. He also averages 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat.
Gane, ranked second in the heavyweight division at 14-2, is a technically polished striker at six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach. The 36-year-old Frenchman lands 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy, though he is far less active in the grappling department than Aspinall.
Pereira, 38, holds the UFC light heavyweight title with a 13-4 record. Known primarily as a knockout artist, "Poatan" lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy and has minimal grappling output, averaging just 0.11 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Aspinall has long been linked to a potential super-fight with Pereira, and this claim adds fuel to that speculation
- The stylistic contrast is stark: Aspinall's grappling volume against Pereira's pure striking would create a genuinely complex matchup
- If the claim is accurate, it raises questions about Pereira's willingness to move up to heavyweight and face the division's top fighter
