Alex Pereira spars Tallison Teixeira before Ciryl Gane title fight
Alex Pereira has commenced sparring with heavyweight Tallison Teixeira ahead of his historic interim title bout against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 in Washington D.C. this June.
The 38-year-old will face the Frenchman on 14 June as he attempts to become the first fighter to win UFC world titles in three separate divisions.
Stepping up to the 265lb weight class requires the former middleweight and light-heavyweight champion to add significant muscle mass to his frame.
Training with heavier opponents
To adapt to the physical demands of his new division, the Brazilian martial arts icon has enlisted the help of heavyweight prospect Teixeira.
Recent footage shared on social media shows the two South American fighters exchanging heavy strikes during an uncompromising gym session.
Standing at 6ft 7in and weighing approximately 259lbs, the imposing training partner possesses a larger physical profile than Gane.
This distinct size disparity is designed to ensure the 6ft 4in challenger is fully acclimatised to the raw power of natural heavyweights before entering the Octagon.
Contrasting momentum heading into Washington
The two headliners approach this landmark event at the White House with vastly different recent track records inside the cage.
The multi-division title hopeful vacated his 205lb belt earlier this year after avenging a loss to Magomed Ankalaev with a first-round stoppage at UFC 320.
Conversely, his upcoming opponent has not recorded a victory since a narrow points decision over Alexander Volkov 18 months ago.
The former interim champion from Paris saw his most recent outing against Tom Aspinall end in a no-contest last October following an accidental eye poke.
Victory in the US capital would complete an unprecedented hat-trick of UFC division championships and cement an extraordinary legacy in mixed martial arts.