Alex Pereira previously declined fight with Tom Aspinall, says Phil De Fries

Phil De Fries, a friend and training partner of Tom Aspinall, has claimed that Alex Pereira previously turned down an opportunity to face Aspinall. De Fries stated that he believes Aspinall is better than Ciryl Gane and noted that opponents present different stylistic challenges for different fighters. He suggested that a fight between Aspinall and Pereira would have been an excellent matchup for the British heavyweight. The post does not provide details about when this offer was allegedly made or the circumstances surrounding Pereira's reported decision.