UFC Heavyweight Star Questions Alex Pereira’s White House Title Fight Legitimacy

Alex Pereira (Image Credits: Imagn)

UFC Heavyweight Star Questions Alex Pereira’s White House Title Fight Legitimacy

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Pavan Sharma | Last updated May 5, 2026 4:57 PM ET

Alex Pereira making his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane at the White House is one of the most iconic things for MMA fans. However, as the stakes are high in this fight, UFC heavyweight star Alexander Volkov has questioned Pereira’s legitimacy as a White House title challenger.

Fans see this fight as one of the biggest heavyweight fights in history. But Volkov believes the UFC White House interim heavyweight fight is more about hype than real sporting merit, and he does not see it as a true championship matchup. During his recent interview with MMA Fighting, the Russian fighter said:

“If Ciryl Gane wins, he will beat a UFC star. He will go on the next media level. If Alex Pereira wins, he won like third title in his career, so he will be good. Anyway, UFC won with this fight. And it will be for sure not like a boring fight, but it’s not true title fight. It’s more like a promotional or media fight.”

Alexander Volkov believes he has ‘advantage’ against Alex Pereira

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The 37-year-old also explained why the French fighter could be a nightmare for ‘Poatan’ stylistically. According to Volkov, Gane’s footwork and movement could give problems to the Brazilian star. Meanwhile, many questioned Pereira’s current physique, as he didn’t look in shape.

Alex Pereira Says He’ll Look Like A Machine By Fight Week

During his middleweight and light heavyweight runs, Alex Pereira always looked in shape. As he has now moved to heavyweight, fans are concerned about his overweight look. During a recent training video, fans noticed his physique. Meanwhile, Pereira says fans should not worry about his current out-of-shape look. In a recent video, “Poatan” said:

“I’m heavy and have a little bit of a belly right now. Very soon, you’ll see the transformation – I’m going to look like a machine.”

Alex Pereira Image Credits: Imagn Images)

The former light heavyweight champion explained that this extra weight is part of his plan for his move to heavyweight. Meanwhile, fans are definitely going to see a high-level striking battle between ‘Poatan’ and Ciryl Gane at the White House.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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