Former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira has moved up to the 205-pound class and defeated ex-light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz; he hopes to win a light heavyweight title fight before returning to the middleweight class to finish a rivalry with Israel Adesanya.
Alex Pereira has made a splash in his new division and isn’t planning on waiting around for Israel Adesanya. The former UFC middleweight champion successfully transitioned to 205 pounds when he defeated former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in a split decision at UFC 291. Pereira, a holder of two Glory Kickboxing titles, and Blachowicz both have impressive pedigrees, leading many to assume that the victor of this fight would make up one half of a vacant light heavyweight title fight.
Operating at this weight, Pereira is keen to capitalize on the opportunity, but he has fielded questions about whether he thinks Adesanya will also move up a weight division to continue their established rivalry. Speaking through a Portuguese translator at the post-fight press conference, Pereira stated, “Before my last fight happened, when I made weight, I told the guys that I was going to take a break from the weight class for now.” He highlighted the challenges of making weight in a short time and expressed his desire to continue fighting at light heavyweight before eventually returning to middleweight.
Pereira scored a victory last November at UFC 281 that shook the combat sports world: a fifth-round knockout against Adesanya that secured him the middleweight title in just his eighth MMA fight. However, Adesanya struck back in their immediate rematch at UFC 287, scoring a knockout of his own. Rather than pushing for a third MMA fight with Adesanya immediately, Pereira switched weight classes and is now one step closer to being a two-division champion after his victory over Blachowicz.
Following Jamahal Hill’s recent vacating of the light heavyweight belt due to injury, the candidate field is now wide open. Pereira seems indifferent to who he might compete against for the title opportunity. He said, “Anybody. For me, Jan is the toughest guy that I could get […] so whoever they put in front of me, I’m going to train and I’m going to leave with the win.” Despite towering over Blachowicz in the ring, Pereira managed to cut down to 185 pounds, something he says he’d be willing to do again to settle the score with Adesanya.