Because Alex Pereira has proven his skill and prowess, he now has the privilege of choosing his opponents. This is precisely why, as the current UFC light heavyweight champion, he will only step up to the heavyweight division for an extraordinary matchup against Jon Jones.
Can you blame him?
Pereira, who is coming off knockout wins at UFC 300 and UFC 303 to earn back-to-back title defenses, just passed Jones on the current pound-for-pound rankings. That may not sit well with UFC CEO Dana White, but Pereira’s recent activity (five fights over the past 15 months) and stranglehold on the 205-pound division has cemented his spot as one of the best in the game.
Jones seems ready to entertain a clash with Pereira in what would be one of the biggest fights in MMA right now. Pereira has gotten that big and Jones is that feared. A clash between the two would be instant fireworks and provide fight fans with the matchup they actually want to see. After all, a planned title fight between Jones and former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic just isn’t that interesting.
At present, Pereira has set his sights solely on Jones for a potential move up to the heavyweight division. While Pereira has shown his dominance in the light heavyweight category, there are still formidable contenders like Magomed Ankalaev to face. If Pereira were to abandon his current division, it would only be for the genuine championship title. Therefore, a potential showdown with interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall would not suffice.
“It doesn’t interest me to fight [Aspinall] at the moment,” said Pereira during a recent submission to his YouTube channel. “To be honest, heavyweight isn’t my goal, it isn’t my main focus. Tom Aspinall, not talking him as a fighter, I’m talking positions. I think I’m in another position now. It doesn’t make sense for me to fight for the interim belt, honestly.”
He continued by saying, “I want to make it clear that I have immense respect for him and I don’t want to diminish his abilities. He is an exceptional athlete and a highly skilled fighter. However, when it comes to fighting for an interim belt, I personally don’t see the purpose in it for me at this moment. Therefore, I completely rule out the possibility of fighting him now. If he were the reigning champion and expressed interest in facing me, then it would be a different scenario. In that case, I would actively promote and pursue that fight. But currently, there is no justification for fighting for the interim belt.”
Pereira clarified, “As I mentioned before, my main focus is on my current weight category. I am constantly improving and performing exceptionally well. I am content with my progress in this division and have no intention of rushing into anything. However, if I were to return to the middleweight division, I would definitely aim for the championship belt. Similarly, if I were to transition to the heavyweight division, I would also target the belt. Age is a factor for me as I am 37, so I feel it is essential for me to aim directly for the top and the championship title. Whether it’s against Jon Jones or Aspinall, it doesn’t matter to me. My ultimate goal is to claim the belt.”
Thoughts?
