Alex Pereira is set for one of the biggest fights of his UFC career when he faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House. Ahead of the historic event, former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier revealed that Pereira will earn a huge payday for the bout.
The Brazilian star is moving up to heavyweight after vacating his light heavyweight championship earlier this year. A victory over Gane would make him a UFC champion in three different weight classes. The fight has created major excitement among fans and analysts.
Daniel Cormier Says Pereira Needs More Before Entering GOAT Debate
During a conversation with Alex Pereira before UFC Freedom 250, Daniel Cormier revealed that the former middleweight and light heavyweight champion is expected to earn around $10 million for the fight against Ciryl Gane. Cormier joked that Pereira would be the only athlete competing at the White House event while taking home such a massive purse.
Pereira enters the contest with plenty of momentum. His last appearance came at UFC 320 in October 2025, where he defeated Magomed Ankalaev by first-round technical knockout to reclaim the light heavyweight title. A few months later, he vacated the belt and announced his move to the heavyweight division. Pereira currently holds a professional record of 13 wins and three losses.
Gane, meanwhile, last competed against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 in October 2025. That fight ended in a no-contest after multiple eye-poke incidents. The French heavyweight owns a record of 13 wins, two defeats, and one no-contest.
Despite the growing hype around Pereira, Cormier said he is not ready to rank him among the greatest fighters ever if he defeats Gane. The UFC Hall of Famer explained that winning titles in three divisions would be an incredible accomplishment, but he believes Pereira would still need to defend the heavyweight championship before entering that conversation.
Cormier added that Pereira has already built an impressive resume with multiple title fights and several successful defenses at light heavyweight. However, he feels that legends such as Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov have achieved more over longer periods. For that reason, Cormier believes Pereira would move closer to the GOAT discussion with a win on Sunday, but he would not reach the top of that list just yet.
UFC CEO Dana White recently suggested that Pereira could become the greatest fighter in MMA history if he wins the interim heavyweight title. However, Cormier believes that such a claim is premature. While he praised Pereira's achievements inside the Octagon, he said the Brazilian still has more work to do before being placed above some of the sport's all-time greats.
