Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes are confident that Alex Pereira will win his UFC light heavyweight title defense at UFC 307, but they have differing opinions on whether he should pursue fights in other weight classes or aim for a historic third belt.
Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes are both confident that Alex Pereira will leave Salt Lake City as the UFC light heavyweight champ at UFC 307. However, they have differing opinions on his future with the company.
Oliveira, a former lightweight champ, thinks “Poatan” should either return to middleweight or aim for something historic. Meanwhile, Lopes is all for a heavyweight showdown against interim titleholder Tom Aspinall.
“A fight with Aspinall would be fascinating,” Lopes shared in an interview with MMA Fighting. “Pereira wouldn’t need to cut weight drastically to 185. He’d fight at his natural weight, which I think fans would love.”
Oliveira mused about the possibility of Pereira winning three belts. “He’s a big guy; he’d be massive at heavyweight,” he told MMA Fighting. “He needs to decide what’s best for him—can he make 185 comfortably? If so, he’d likely beat Dricus Du Plessis. Going up would be epic too, giving him three belts. Whatever his team decides, his coach Plinio Cruz knows best.”
Pereira’s third defense of the light heavyweight belt is set for 2024 against Khalil Rountree. This follows knockout victories over Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka at UFC 300 and UFC 303. The choice of Rountree as a contender surprised many, including Oliveira, but Lopes sees it differently.
“It’s intriguing,” Lopes remarked. “In the UFC, lower-ranked fighters getting title shots isn’t rare now. When they get such chances, they’re hungry. That’s how Khalil will approach this fight. But ‘Poatan’ seems unstoppable; it’s going to be striking-focused since Khalil never goes for takedowns.”
Oliveira was taken aback by the matchup but acknowledges Rountree’s power as a threat to Pereira, a former two-division GLORY kickboxing champ.
“Not saying ‘Poatan’ is invincible,” Oliveira stated. “But he has a knack for knocking out strikers—he’s calm and precise. It’s tough for any striker to take him down because he waits for that perfect moment to strike.”
As Pereira readies himself for Rountree at UFC 307, Lopes stands by as the backup fighter at the next pay-per-view event later this month. He’s prepared to replace either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway if needed on Oct. 25. Meanwhile, “Do Bronx” Oliveira is in camp prepping for his rematch with Michael Chandler at UFC 309 in New York on Nov. 16.
And there you have it—a whirlwind of potential paths and matchups in the ever-evolving world of MMA!