WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an era short on iconic, crossover stars who can capture audiences both casual and hardcore, the UFC has benefited enormously from the stoic, surgical, indomitable phenomenon that is Alex Pereira. 

A presence like his has never been so necessary. Without celebrity champions operating as commercial brands unto themselves such as Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor, undefeated forces rewriting record books à la Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov, or generational talents clearing out divisions twice over like Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva, Pereira has been the closest thing the UFC has to a megastar.

He’s fought multiple times a year, every year, since his late 2021 debut. He’s waged a bitter rivalry with Israel Adesanya. He’s won both the middleweight and light-heavyweight titles with stunning knockouts. He’s cultivated a substantial, invested audience without speaking a word of English. 

And this weekend on the White House’s south lawn at UFC Freedom 250, he’ll attempt something none of those preceding superstars even teased — competing for a championship in a third weight class.

“It's very special, historical. Something new — something that has never been done before,” said Pereira, who will fight French striker Ciryl Gane for the UFC’s interim heavyweight title on Sunday. “Ever since I accepted this fight, I've been envisioning it. And I've been visualizing a lot of things that I've been through in my life. Everything that I've been able to accomplish. Things that many people didn't believe in, and I was able to make happen.”

Watch UFC Freedom 250 on Sportsnet The UFC heads to the White House lawn for a night of fights in what promises to be one of the most unique sporting events in history. Watch UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, June 14 with the seven-fight pay-per-view card available on Sportsnet starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.Purchase the event

Watch UFC Freedom 250 on Sportsnet

The UFC heads to the White House lawn for a night of fights in what promises to be one of the most unique sporting events in history. Watch UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, June 14 with the seven-fight pay-per-view card available on Sportsnet starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

It’s been quite a speedrun of UFC’s upper echelons for Pereira, who’s been in eight title fights, won seven bonuses and beaten six current or former champions within less........

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