UFC star Alex Pereira going to heavyweight: does Dana White like the idea?
‘Poatan’ has become one of the biggest names in the UFC and after his impressive win over Prochazka, he’s targetting the heavyweight division.
Alex Pereira is the man right now in the UFC. The Brazilian has become one of the most charismatic fighters due to his impressive results inside the octagon.
Poatan, with 11 wins and two losses since he signed for the biggest MMA promotion in the world, keeps recording knockout wins against the very best mixed martial artists on the planet but also doing it on short-notice title fights.
MMA superstar Conor McGregor was expected to be UFC 303′s main attraction, as he was expected to take on Michael Chandler in the main event, but he was forced to be replaced after getting injured. UFC boss Dana White contacted Pereira to showcase the card against Jiri Prochazka only some days in advance and the Brazilian didn’t hesitate to accept the offer.
The former middleweight champion and current light heavyweight king successfully defended his crown against the Czech warrior, by finishing him again in their rematch clash. A leg kick from the Sao Paulo native sent his opponent to the canvas and after some ground-and-pound strikes, the referee stopped the fight in the second round.
Pereira eyeing a heavyweight move, Dana White shares his opinion
After the fight, and given how he finished his opponent, Pereira went all in and said he was thinking about moving up to the heavyweight division, where he would try to become champion and be the first UFC fighter ever to win a belt in three different weights.
“I’m here, I’m available and I do think that this is in my future [moving to heavyweight]… I think the fans have a lot of say in this, whatever they want. In the end these are the people paying for this, and if this is what they want it’s going to be inevitable”, he said after UFC 303.
While many fans would love to see the Brazilian star go up in weight and take on the most dangerous fighters in the biggest weight class, White isn’t especially excited about the idea, at least for now. The UFC boss believes his fighter still needs to win some more fights to earn the right to compete at heavyweight.
“The guy was a middleweight and then moved up to light heavyweight. He’s had a couple of fights there, and defended his title. But it’s not like this guy’s been in the division for two years and ran through everybody that’s in the division, and it’s like, ‘Come on, what’s next? At least let him move to heavyweight”, White revealed.
“If he cleaned out a division, and we were like, ‘There’s nobody left for this guy to fight’, but that’s not the case”, he added.
Another fight vs. Adesanya, more possible than fighting Jon Jones
Another reason why White prefers to wait and see what the company decides to do with one of his biggest stars is Pereira’s weight and muscle difference compared to real heavyweights. And that seems to be a concern for the UFC president.
“Chuck (Liddell) and Forrest Griffin used to walk around at 230, and they would cut down to 205. That’s not big. Some of these heavyweights are 265. They’re cutting to 265. It’s just a whole other level”, he explained.
Everybody wants to see the former Glory double champion take on UFC legend Jon Jones for the heavyweight crown, but after White’s comments, that fight seems very unlikely, at least shortly. Jones is expected to return in November to take on Stipe Miocic, and if he emerges victorious, that mega clash with Pereira would be even more obvious.
For the time being, White expects Poatan to stay in the light heavyweight division and didn’t rule out a third fight with Israel Adesanya in the UFC. Both men had already faced each other twice in the past, with Pereira winning both clashes.
“They’re still at the top of their game. I don’t know. You could book a third fight. Who wouldn’t want to see it? I mean, they’re great fights”, White concluded.
A fight with Adesanya would make even more sense if ‘The Last Stylebender’ wins the middleweight title for the third time, against Dricus Du Plessis, at UFC 305 on August 17. Magomed Ankalaev, Jan Blachowicz, and Jamahal Hill are also potential opponents for the Sao Paulo-bred talent.