Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira mocked Ciryl Gane’s place atop the heavyweight division following Tom Aspinall’s leave.

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall announced earlier this week that he’ll vacate his title as he continues to recover from multiple eye injuries. Aspinall hasn’t fought since a no contest against Ciryl Gane last year at UFC 321.

After Aspinall’s shocking indefinite departure from the division, Gane will likely be promoted to undisputed champion after winning the interim title earlier this year at UFC Freedom 250. Gane finished former two-division champion Alex Pereira by TKO in their highly anticipated co-main event.

Since UFC Freedom 250, Pereira has repeatedly accused Gane of cheating after landing several controversial shots to the back of Pereira’s head during the fight. Most of Pereira’s ire has been directed at referee Herb Dean, although Gane has also been a common target.

After the massive shakeup atop the heavyweight division, Pereira dismissed Gane’s potential promotion to undisputed titleholder.

Alex Pereira reignites Ciryl Gane feud after Tom Aspinall vacates title

In a recent Instagram post, Pereira mocked the presumed new undisputed heavyweight champ.

“Lost to Francis [Ngannou]. Lost to [Jon] Jones, [Alexander] Volkov was daylight robbery, 10 illegal head shots to Poatan,” Pereira posted.

“Champion [LAUGHS].”

As of this writing, Gane hasn’t responded to Pereira’s post.

It’s unclear whether the UFC will promote Gane to undisputed champion or strip him of the interim title so he can challenge for the now-vacant belt. UFC heavyweight contenders Josh Hokit and Alexander Volkov are two possibilities for Gane’s next opponent.

But Pereira remains a possibility, despite a decisive loss to Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Pereira recently met with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell regarding his next fight, and seemed encouraged by their conversations.

Would you want to see Ciryl Gane vs. Alex Pereira 2 next? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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