Tom Aspinall predicted Alex Pereira heavyweight move years before Ciryl Gane fight
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Tom Aspinall’s name has re-entered the spotlight alongside Alex Pereira, but this time it is not just about a potential fight. A resurfaced clip suggests the UFC heavyweight champion may have seen this moment coming long before it materialised. Back in December 2023, the Briton appeared on the True Geordie podcast and shared a brief interaction with Pereira.
At the time, talk of ‘Poatan’ moving up in weight existed, but it remained speculative rather than imminent. Fast forward to now, and Pereira is set to face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. With Aspinall recovering from eye surgery, a future undisputed clash between the two is already being discussed if Pereira comes through that test.
Tom Aspinall recalls moment he felt Alex Pereira was targeting him Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC In the resurfaced clip, Aspinall explained why he believed the Brazilian star was already considering a move to heavyweight. The 32-year-old said: “He [Pereira] was quite frosty when I met him. I don’t know him personally, I didn’t know if he was just like that.
Got off the press conference, and my dad said, ‘How was it? ’ I said, ‘Do you know Alex Pereira? ’ He said, ‘Yeah.
’ “I said, ‘He thinks he can beat me, you know? ’ And my dad was like, ‘What do you mean? ’ I don’t know, I can just tell.