Phil de Fries, a teammate of Tom Aspinall, stated that Alex Pereira previously turned down an opportunity to fight Tom. De Fries believes Aspinall is better than Francis Ngannou and that different opponents present different stylistic challenges. He suggested this would have been an excellent fight for Aspinall. The post asks followers which fighter would be a more difficult stylistic matchup for Pereira between Aspinall and Ngannou. No further details about when this alleged offer occurred or the circumstances surrounding Pereira's decision were provided.
Phil de Fries, a teammate and training partner of UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, has claimed that Alex Pereira previously passed on a fight with Aspinall — though no official confirmation of the alleged offer has emerged, and key details surrounding the circumstances remain unclear.
De Fries made the remarks publicly, asserting that Aspinall represents a tougher challenge than Francis Ngannou and that the stylistic puzzle each man poses for Pereira differs significantly. He described a potential Aspinall-Pereira matchup as a fight that would have been well worth making.
Aspinall, 33, holds the UFC heavyweight title and carries a record of 15-3-0. The England native, who trains out of Team Kaobon, stands six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach. His output is striking — he lands 7.63 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 67 percent, among the highest in the sport, while also averaging 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Pereira, 38, holds the light heavyweight title with a 13-4-0 record, competing out of Brazil and training with Teixeira MMA and Fitness. Standing six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, "Poatan" lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy. He has virtually no grappling output on record, averaging just 0.11 takedowns and 0.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Ngannou, also 38, carries an 18-3-0 record and holds the number 12 pound-for-pound ranking. The Cameroonian stands six-foot-four with a massive 83-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Aspinall, the reigning heavyweight champion and number 6 pound-for-pound fighter, has long been linked to a super-fight with Pereira
- Pereira's near-absence of grappling activity would represent a significant stylistic vulnerability against Aspinall's multi-dimensional attack
- Because the claim is unconfirmed and sourced from Aspinall's own camp, the report should be treated as unverified until either fighter or their management responds
