Alex Pereira, a two-division UFC champion, is being encouraged by many, including Joe Rogan, to move up to heavyweight after his recent light heavyweight win, but UFC CEO Dana White prefers he first solidify his dominance in the light heavyweight division.
Alex Pereira has already accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time in his UFC career. Lately, plenty of calls have risen for him to get the chance to become the first-ever three-division champion.
It only took him seven fights to become a two-division champion. He conquered both light heavyweight and middleweight. But what about moving to heavyweight after his latest win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303?
Following Pereira’s win, UFC CEO Dana White said he barely had time to wrap the belt around the Brazilian’s waist. Joe Rogan was already in his ear asking about him going to heavyweight.
Turns out Rogan wasn’t alone.
“What it sounds like to me, not just Joe Rogan [but] everybody else wants to see him go to heavyweight,” White said at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “When we were talking to him tonight, he doesn’t give a shit.”
“He said, ‘I’ll fight at heavyweight. I’ll fight wherever you want, whenever you want.’”
“He’s ready to turn around and wants to fight again right away. He’s that guy. He’s a savage. The guy’s an absolute stud.”
The heavyweight division is a bit tied up right now. Interim champion Tom Aspinall is preparing for a showdown with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July.
Meanwhile, undisputed heavyweight king Jon Jones is expected to clash with Stipe Miocic later this year. The fight is currently targeted for November at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Pereira could potentially target the winner of one or both of those fights. He might take a shot at becoming a three-division champ.
But White still doesn’t love the idea — at least not yet.
“It’s not that I’m not into it — the guy was a middleweight, then moves up to light heavyweight,” White explained. “He’s had a couple fights there, defended his title.”
“But it’s not like this guy’s been in the division for two years and he ran through everybody that’s in the division.”
“Think about this: when those two squared off — not just him, Jiri too — when you see me standing in the middle of these guys, these guys are f*cking monsters.”
“They’re both big guys.” Imagine they were both middleweights at one time — it’s insane! They look good at light heavyweight.
It’s a whole other level going up to heavyweight.
Even as big as Jon Jones is, as good as Jon Jones is… When Jon Jones was moving up to heavyweight? We’re like, ‘This is going to be interesting.’
For now, Pereira’s time served at light heavyweight seems the biggest obstacle standing in his way from moving up.
White doesn’t hate the idea long term but prefers Pereira cement himself as best light heavyweight first.
Pereira currently holds a 3-0 record at light heavyweight with two title defenses against Prochazka and one against former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.
Rather than packing on pounds and attempting another division conquest… White prefers seeing Pereira continue dominating light heavyweights before making any move upward.
“If he cleaned out a division and we were like: there’s literally nobody left for this guy… And he’s 37… If he wants move up? We’ll let him,” White said.
“You said he was 230 [pounds] today? Chuck [Liddell] and Forrest Griffin used walk around at 230 cutting down 205.” That’s not big!
Some heavyweights are cutting down from 265! It’s just another level entirely.