News - Pereira's $10 million UFC debut stirs excitement at the White House

Alex Pereira is set to make his heavyweight debut at the highly anticipated UFC Freedom 250 event this Sunday on the White House lawn. The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion is poised to earn an astonishing $10 million for his bout against Ciryl Gane. With this payout, Pereira becomes the highest-paid athlete on the card, a fact revealed by Daniel Cormier during a candid backstage chat. The significance of this payout is tied to Pereira's pursuit of becoming the first fighter in UFC history to secure titles in three different weight classes, should he clinch the interim heavyweight belt. In addition to the fight itself, the buzz around the payout has injected an added layer of intrigue and excitement into an already momentous occasion. During their lively exchange, Cormier playfully pushed for a reduced wager in a World Cup bet with Pereira, remarking bluntly about the extravagant payday. The fighters eventually compromised on a $10,000 bet, with the losing party donating the sum to charity. While Pereira’s staggering paycheck grabs headlines, it accentuates the financial disparity with other fighters on the card. Cormier made it clear that no other competitor at the Freedom 250 event would come close to matching Pereira's lucrative earnings. The event signals a historic day not just for Pereira, but for the UFC brand at large, as it marks a rare occasion where fights are staged on the prestigious White House grounds. Viewers can catch the main coverage beginning at 10 p.m. ET.