Alex Pereira has said he expects to face Ciryl Gane in a rematch after being stopped by the Frenchman in June's interim UFC heavyweight title fight, a bout that denied the Brazilian a bid to become the sport's first three-weight champion. Pereira has voiced frustration with the manner of his defeat, claiming several of Gane's decisive blows were illegal strikes to the back of the head, though Gane has denied this. A rematch would matter as it could determine Pereira's route back to a heavyweight title shot and shape the queue of contenders behind champion Tom Aspinall.

Pereira, 39, said on social media that after resting he believed the Gane fight "makes sense" and expected it to be made, adding he wants another chance to pursue the third UFC belt of his career. Gane, 36, is a two-time interim heavyweight champion who has lost twice in fights for the undisputed title, and would ideally face Aspinall next, but the Briton remains sidelined recovering from eye injuries sustained against Gane last year, with no confirmed return date. Separately, Britain's Michael "Venom" Page has been dropped from UFC rankings consideration after completing his contract with an unimpressive decision win at UFC Paris, fuelling speculation he may leave the promotion.