Alex Pereira appears to be seriously considering a move up to heavyweight.
‘Poatan’ started his UFC career at middleweight where he knocked out Israel Adesanya, who got his revenge in a rematch, to become a champion in November 2022. Since then, Pereira has moved up to light heavyweight and become a two-weight titleholder with wins over Khalil Rountree, Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Jan Blachowicz.
Magomed Ankalaev appears to be next line after beating Aleksandr Rakic and cementing his position as the number-one 205lb contender at UFC 308 last weekend.
Glover Teixeira reveals Alex Pereira wants to move to heavyweight
During a post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Ankalaev implored the light heavyweight king to stop running from a fight with him.
“I think I have done everything to deserve the next title shot,” he said through a translator. “I’d like to talk to Alex and I’d like to tell him ‘Hey, stop running away from me’. We should fight, that’s what everybody wants to see.”
With some help from his translator, Ankalaev topped off the interview by sending a brief message in English, telling Pereira: “Alex, stop running away from me.”
Former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira, who is Pereira’s head coach, was recently asked who he would like to see his star pupil face next.
Teixeira accepted that Ankalaev was the most obvious opponent after his UFC 308 win, but talk quickly turned to a potential move up in weight for a massive fight with heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
They are talking about Ankalaev right now,” he said on the Overdogs podcast.
“It’s probably the fight at light heavyweight, but Alex wants to move up. I’m 100 percent behind him. I think he can fight any of those heavyweights.
“I’ve been saying for a couple of fights I want him to take six months off. Come back in six months and maybe in March or April next year he fights. That will be a perfect time in my opinion for [him to] recover little things here and there.
“The biggest fight right now is Jon Jones vs [Alex Pereira]. It’s the one that will sell the most. There’s no bigger fight right now than those two meeting up and seeing who is the best.”
Alex Pereira recently claimed he’s staying at light heavyweight
Throughout 2024, Pereira has been flirting with a move to heavyweight, and he’s even teased a drop back down in weight for a shot at 185lb champion Dricus du Plessis.
However, just before his knockout of Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, the 37-year-old shut down the talk about fights in other divisions as he insisted his immediate future is at light heavyweight.
“I will actually choose to defend my belt,” Pereira said at the UFC 307 media day.
“For me to go to a lower weight class would take some time and would need some more preparation, for me to go to a higher weight class it also takes more preparation so right now the way that it is at light heavyweight is perfect.”
It is unclear what has changed since then. Perhaps a fight with Ankalaev doesn’t appeal to Team Pereira, or maybe someone from the UFC has teased an exciting heavyweight matchup that’s caught their attention.
Jon Jones will defend his belt against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16.
It’s possible that both men will retire after their legacy fight and leave interim titleholder Tom Apsinall looking for someone to face to solidify himself as the proper heavyweight champion.
Whatever happens, it seems Alex Pereira will add himself to the heavyweight title mix in 2025, and potentially leave Ankalaev searching for someone else to face as his pursuit of UFC gold continues.