Magomed Ankalaev in another title defence? Going up another division to challenge Tom Aspinall at heavyweight? There are options aplenty for reigning UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, after making quick work of Jamahal Hill at a historic UFC 300 card earlier this month. If you ask the 36-year-old though, he’s not too fussed on who or when – but wants continuity.
Pereira: I’d rather defend my belt than wait a while
- Having suffered two broken toes, Poatan expects he’ll be medically cleared to train again early next month and will set his sights on finalising an opponent for summer bout afterwards – whether defending his 205lb strap or moving up again into the uncertain heavyweight sweepstakes
- Current interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, confirmed in a social media reveal earlier this month that he’ll be defending his strap against an opponent TBC at an upcoming show in Manchester, since leaked as UFC 304 on July 27. A rematch with Curtis Blaydes is rumoured
- On his short-term future, Pereira told MMA Fighting: “I have to see what’s best for me but I’m not alone, have my managers with me. I’m like a gamecock – you put another rooster in-front of me, I’m there to fight and we will, open to fighting whoever, but I’m not the one who decides.”
ALEX Pereira is at the peak of his powers, turns 37 in ten weeks time and while refreshing to see what he’s said recently, it comes with the caveat he knows time waits for no man in a ruthless bloodthirsty sport primed on recency bias.
The 205lb division was long reigned by Jon Jones, who has since moved up and won full championship gold at heavyweight, but sustained a serious torn pectoral muscle injury while training for a proposed UFC 295 matchup against Stipe Miocic.
Pereira is the fourth champion since then, after Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira and Jamahal Hill. His victory over the latter means the title was successfully defended for the first time in four years and two months – dating back to Jones’ disputed win over Dominick Reyes a month before the COVD-19 pandemic shut the world down.
After going 2-1 in his first three MMA fights, all in Sao Paulo over a seven-month span, Pereira returned to the discipline at the end of 2020 with a first-round knockout under the LFA banner. The next year, he made his memorable UFC debut and has gone 7-1 across two divisions in the promotion over two-and-a-half years.
During an interview with MMAFighting’s Trocação Franca podcast, Poatan discussed his intentions to remain active and revealed a desire to presumably fight twice before the year ends – whether #2 divisional contender Magomed Ankalaev is ready or not.
The highly-rated Russian, who himself could’ve very well been crowned champion but for a controversial majority decision draw against Blachowicz the month before Hill’s short-notice win over Teixeira, scored a second-round knockout over longtime contender Johnny Walker in their January rematch.
Prochazka’s call for a rematch, while understandable, feels too premature after his comeback win over Aleksandar Rakic elsewhere at UFC 300 and Ankalaev is said to have called for that title matchup to feature at UFC 308 during the final week of October. Pereira though, holds all the cards and doesn’t want to wait that long.
“I don’t want to fight at the end of the year, wanna fight sooner so maybe that shows he won’t be ready. I don’t know why he said that… this guy is complicated, if it’s not a date I want then it’s not for me… I can say no.”
- Pereira on Ankalaev’s October title bid
The Brazilian admitted he was being ambitious during his post-fight interview, calling for a quick turnaround between pay-per-view events, but needs time to recover from his broken toes and recuperate before heading into another training camp. “Both feet are fucked, it’s complicated,” he revealed.
As for a mooted crack against Tom Aspinall, a disgruntled interim champion waiting for the Jones-Miocic logjam to sort itself out, Pereira wouldn’t say no but is importantly aware about how he’d leave things in another weight division where there hasn’t been much clarity over the past half-decade now. Wait and see.
“I haven’t thought too much about it yet. If it’s a longer period of time, rather defend my belt… if it takes too long, I fight at heavy and there are injuries, when am I going to defend my belt? I don’t want to hold up the division.
A cool scenario would have been fighting at heavyweight [UFC 301] then giving the opportunity to someone, fight for the light-heavyweight belt next.”
- Pereira on whether he’d rather defend his belt or test the heavyweight landscape
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
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