UFC's White: Pereira surpasses Jones as GOAT with win vs. Gane

          • Brett OkamotoJun 5, 2026, 05:45 PM ET
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Dana White believes two-weight UFC champion Alex Pereira is one win away from becoming the greatest fighter of all time.

          Pereira (13-3) will face Ciryl Gane (13-2) for the UFC's interim heavyweight championship June 14 at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.

          A former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, Pereira is attempting to become the first three-weight champion in UFC history. If Pereira is successful, White believes he will surpass Jon Jones on the all-time list. White has long stated he believes Jones to be the greatest.

          "If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time," White told Forbes.

          Pereira, of Brazil, was also a two-weight champion in Glory Kickboxing, prior to transitioning to MMA in 2021. He enjoyed a meteoric rise in MMA, signing with the UFC for just his fifth pro appearance. He won the middleweight championship by dethroning another all-time great in Israel Adesanya in 2022. Pereira elected to vacate his 205-pound championship earlier this year in anticipation of a move to heavyweight.

          There is still a chance Pereira and Jones could face one another in the UFC. Jones announced his retirement in 2025, only to immediately say he'd come back for a matchup against Pereira. Jones (28-1) holds the UFC record for most wins in title fights at 16.

          The winner of the interim title fight would also line up to face undisputed champion Tom Aspinall. However, Aspinall is still recovering from multiple eye injuries suffered in his latest bout and his manager, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, has said he wants to renegotiate the fighter's contract with the UFC.