UFC fighter Alex Pereira has shocked fans with his body transformation as he prepares for his first fight as a heavyweight next month.

Pereira moves up to the heavyweight division from the light heavyweight division for his upcoming fight against Ciryl Gane on the 14th June at UFC Freedom 250.

The pair will fight in the co-main event on the historic White House card, which is a one-of-a-kind event taking place on the grounds of the White House, and will see many celebrities in attendance.

Pereira, whose last fight was in a knockout victory against Magomed Ankalaev in October of last year, has upped his weight and changed his whole physique, and a picture of him in training prior to the upcoming fight has got fans talking.

Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Physique For UFC Freedom 250

One UFC fan said: “Alex Pereira hitting heavyweight and looking like that is insane man. Bro went from lean killer at 185 to straight stacked, that lower body is no joke. Poatan always been a freak, but this bulk up got everybody talking. Hope the power stays with the extra size.”

Another said: “Alex Pereira looking like he was built in a secret UFC laboratory now.”

An impressed fan said: “He’s going to be the scariest heavyweight to ever walk the earth.”

Another fan said: “Pereira didn’t just move up in weight, he stole the entire division’s muscle.”

One fan was so shocked by the picture that they questioned the validity of it: “If the picture is not modified, he has insane genetics. Other fighters said that he had KO power in both hands. Imagine this dude catching you at HW. I want to see this.”

Some Fans Concerned After Seeing Pereira’s Physique

Although many are impressed by the transformation Pereira has made, some are concerned for him in the upcoming fight against Gane.

Some fans have predicted he will struggle to move efficiently when carrying extra weight, with one posting: “Dude is going to be so slow and stiff out there, Gane is going to put the work on him.”

Another voiced their concerns: “He better retain that bounce or else he is gonna be slept.”

Another critic said: “Not good in my opinion, Ciryl is going to beat him. Should’ve stayed at light heavyweight, defended a few more, and then went over to boxing.”

It will be very interesting to see how the Brazilian fares in his new weight division on the upcoming White House card. UFC fans cannot put their finger on whether the increase in weight will be beneficial or not for the 38-year-old.

Manchester City are targeting midfield reinforcements this summer but they will not be making a move for a current Chelsea star, Sky Sports News has reported.

It is set to be a summer of change at the Etihad Stadium with Pep Guardiola leaving the club after 10 years in charge. Bernardo Silva and John Stones are also departing.

Enzo Maresca is expected to take charge of City ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, having previously spent time as an assistant coach with the FA Cup winners.

City won six Premier League titles in 10 years under Guardiola but this season was the first time since the Spaniard’s arrival they had gone consecutive campaigns without being crowned champions.

Man City don’t want Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez

City are eager to strengthen their options in midfield and Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson is their top target. The Etihad Stadium side have been named as favourites to sign the England international, with rivals Manchester United also keen on the midfielder.

Anderson is expected to cost upwards of £100million. Forest believe Declan Rice’s £105million move to Arsenal and Moises Caicedo’s £115million switch to Chelsea have set a benchmark.

One player City will not be pursuing a deal for, however, is Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Sky Sports News have reported that Anderson is the club’s priority and there is now no intention to sign Fernandez, after earlier reports linking them with a move for the player.

Fernandez is valued at £100million by Chelsea having joined for £107million in 2023. The Argentine midfielder still has six years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Fernandez knows Enzo Maresca well

Fernandez played under incoming City boss Maresca when the pair were together at Chelsea. During the 2024/25 campaign, Maresca hailed Fernandez’s leadership qualities and described him as ‘fantastic‘.

The former Benfica player impressed interim Chelsea boss Calum McFarlane too. Fernandez scored the winner for Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United.

After that game, McFarlane was visceral in his praise of the player. He said: “He’s a winner – he’s got so much talent, he’s got so much fire. He’s massive for this group and the best thing about Enzo is that he can do a bit of everything, but when it gets tough, you see the fight in him.”

Fernandez was dropped for two games by ex-Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior in April after saying he would welcome the chance to live in Madrid.

He later apologised for those remarks, it was reported the player and his agent were seeking improved terms with Chelsea.

Tennis fans have taken to social media to voice their concerns for former superstar Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard, now 39, posted a picture of himself and fellow tennis legend, Roger Federer, together in Madrid. The picture quickly got fans talking about Nadal’s changes in physique since his retirement from tennis back in 2024.

Nadal is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with a glittering career consisting of 22 Grand Slam titles during one of the most competitive eras of the sport. Amongst those is a stunning 14 victories at the French Open with him being crowned the ‘King of Clay.’

He is one of only three players to have completed the career Golden Slam in men’s singles, and was also once the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam at the age of just 24.

Since retiring, Nadal has focused on expanding his legacy through managing the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, mentoring the next generation of tennis players. He is also noted to be a keen padel and golf player too.

In the picture posted alongside Federer, Nadal captioned it: “Look who I found in Madrid!”

Fans React to Recent Photo of Rafael Nadal

Fans were quick to notice the loss of muscle since his retirement.

One fan said: “Wth happened to Rafa? Is he ill or something?”

Another voiced their concerns, saying: “Are you alright, Rafa? You look pretty weak. Hope you are doing great.”

One fan noted the muscle loss compared to when he was playing by mentioning the power and strength Nadal was known for during his career: “Is it me, or you’ve lost muscles. The Nadal muscles.”

Other fans, however, rushed to Rafa’s defence and said: “When someone retires from being a professional athlete, their body no longer looks like a professional athlete’s body because they are not spending all their time being a professional athlete. This isn’t complicated.”

Part of Nadal’s loss of muscle mass may be due to the foot injury he has been suffering from for many years. He recently revealed he was diagnosed with Muller-Weiss Syndrome, a rare degenerative foot condition which causes the collapse of the tarsal navicular bone, causing it to deform over time.

This may be affecting Nadal’s ability to maintain shape as he is not able to push his body in training. It may also be beneficial to carry less muscle as it puts less weight and stress on his foot.