Alex Pereira’s Big Win Puts His Best Foot Forward for Jon Jones
By Eddie Sanchez
On Saturday night, Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title, knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch. The victory put “Poatan” back atop the 205-pound division and immediately sparked the question of what comes next. Carlos Ulberg appears next in line at light heavyweight, while middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has tried to insert himself into the mix. Neither matchup, however, seems to interest the newly restored champion.
After the fight, Pereira made his ambitions clear: he wants a superfight at heavyweight.
Before losing his title to Ankalaev earlier this year, Pereira had already been eyeing a move up in weight to challenge for a third UFC belt and become the first three-division champion in the promotion’s history. That plan was delayed after the first Ankalaev fight, but with the belt back around his waist, the idea remains on his radar. Still, Pereira isn’t targeting the upcoming heavyweight title bout between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Instead, he has a different opponent in mind.
Pereira revealed that he had planned to call out Jon Jones for a superfight at the UFC White House event but decided against it out of respect following the recent death of Jones’ brother, Arthur.
Jones retired earlier this year after declining to unify his heavyweight title with Aspinall. Once plans for the UFC White House card surfaced, he quickly ended that retirement and began lobbying for a spot on the historic event.
UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly said he cannot trust Jones enough to include him on the White House card. He also appears hesitant to let Pereira move to heavyweight now that he’s regained the 205-pound belt. Pereira insists that it won’t be a problem, noting his willingness to stay active and defend his title if needed.
The UFC, however, has shown less interest lately in allowing champions to hold belts across multiple divisions. Should Pereira be required to defend next, he remains unfazed and ready for any challenger.
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