Alex Pereira originally hinted at taking time off.
Former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira wanted to fight Jiri Prochazka not long after his most recent Octagon victory.
Pereira’s UFC light heavyweight debut was a successful endeavor as he defeated Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291. The split decision win cemented himself as one of the top light heavyweight contenders, and he’s now set for a clash with Procházka for the vacant belt.
After defeating Blachowicz, Pereira hinted at taking some time off to handle some business outside of the Octagon before planning his next fight. But, UFC President Dana White announced on Wednesday that he’s set to return at UFC 295 on November 11th.
Pereira said his decision to challenge for the vacant light heavyweight title just a few months after his last fight rattled Jiri Prochazka.
Alex Pereira Speaks Out After UFC 295 Announcement
During a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Alex Pereira alleged that he initially asked to fight Procházka at UFC 294, just weeks after his win over Blachowicz.
“After the Jan Blachowicz fight, my manager and the organization talked behind the scenes,” Alex Pereira said. “It caught [Jiří] off guard, not saying this in a bad way, we’re talking about a guy that means business, everyone sees it. You can’t just wing things, I had the momentum, was prepped and feeling good, and I wanted that fight. So I reckon Jiri was caught off guard and he said no [initially to an October fight], but now the big moment’s here, it’s going down November 11th.”
Alex Pereira is 5-1 in his UFC tenure, with the lone defeat coming against Israel Adesanya in their middleweight title rematch at UFC 287. He has also finished Sean Strickland and Andreas Michailidis inside the Octagon.
Jiri Prochazka hasn’t fought since defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. He was originally slated to face Teixeira in a light heavyweight title rematch before suffering a major shoulder injury.
Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka will co-headline the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic-led card at UFC 295. If Pereira defeats Procházka, he’ll cement himself as one of the biggest stars in the sport and has proven it with his high activity level.
