Tom Aspinall is picking Ciryl Gane to beat Alex Pereira on points at UFC Freedom 250, predicting that Pereira will struggle against a big, mobile heavyweight who moves well.
Aspinall has already been told he will fight the winner of Pereira vs. Gane. He broke down the matchup for the first time on Fight Your Corner, expressing doubt about how Pereira’s game will translate to the heavyweight division.
“Alex Pereira is very good when he fights light heavyweights or middleweights who don’t move a lot. Ciryl Gane is a massive heavyweight who moves a lot. Moves really well. So, stylistically, I think it’s a good matchup for Gane. That being said, Gane doesn’t like leg kicks. He doesn’t fare well against leg kicks. He’s a good kicker, but if someone kicks him, his leg kick defense isn’t great. I struggle to pick a winner at this stage to be honest. I would say Gane by points. I think he’s just going to move too much for him and beat him on points.”
Aspinall also revealed that his own return has been pushed back after a recent scan of the eye injuries he sustained in his first undisputed title defense showed he needs more time.
“I’ve just had my recent scan. I thought it was going to get cleared actually to spar and fight straight away but they actually said they’ve given me another couple of months so I’m just waiting.”
Pereira faces Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship on June 14 at the White House. A win would make him the first fighter in UFC history to claim a version of the title in three separate weight classes.