The MMA world is waiting for the promotion to green-light a Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira fight at the upcoming White House event. The Brazilian has not fought since UFC 320, where he defeated Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim the title, and his next move in the UFC has remained uncertain. However, that uncertainty may soon vanish, as Islam Makhachev’s manager has revealed that Pereira is in talks to face a middleweight star ahead of the White House event.

The UFC Light Heavyweight champion is known for his devastating left hook, and no one in the UFC has successfully countered it. Many have tried and failed. Back in November, Pereira reportedly challenged UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev to a charity grappling match, though that fight remains unconfirmed. Now, Sharabutdin Magomedov appears to be his most likely opponent in grappling.

Alex Pereira vs. Dagestani middleweight phenoms next in line

“We are waiting for a date for [Shara’s] next fight. Ideally, an event in the Middle East or elsewhere, because he can’t fight in the US for obvious reasons. He’s filling his free time with this kind of match. It’s essentially two strikers who will be grappling. The negotiations are ongoing,” Rizvan Magomedov, Islam Makhachev’s manager, told Sports24.

While Alex Pereira hasn’t been very active outside the UFC, Sharabutdin Magomedov competed in a grappling matchup last December against the Russian-Armenian star under HYPE FC. Despite giving it his all, the match ended in a draw. Recently, crossover grappling matches have gained popularity among MMA fighters.

However, the upcoming matchup between Alex Pereira and Sharabutdin Magomedov is Pereira’s chance to prove himself to UFC CEO Dana White. White once doubted the Brazilian’s ground game and dismissed a potential Pereira vs. Jon Jones heavyweight bout.

“No f–king way… Jon’s too big. [Jon is a] great wrestler…It just doesn’t make sense to make that fight,” Dana White said via the UFC 309 post-fight presser.

Now, the question is whether all these developments will push ‘Poatan’ onto the White House event card on June 14. Back in December, Pereira, with a cryptic post, seemed to rule out fighting on the card. However, in a recent social media post showing a tire and hammer, he hinted that a potential fight against Jon Jones is still in the works. This week, Jon Jones dropped a major update on the fight.

Jon Jones speaks out about a potential clash with Alex Pereira

Since July 3, 2025, when Donald Trump announced the UFC White House event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Jon Jones was one of the first to go on social media, announcing he wanted to be on the card. Believe it or not, just a few weeks ago, Jones had officially retired from the UFC. However, since that day, Dana White has shut the door on Jon Jones. For most of his career, Dana White supported Jones through his ups and downs.

But when the promotion asked him to put his title on the line against the then-interim champion Tom Aspinall, Jones walked away and retired. Since then, Jones has fallen out of Dana White’s good books. Now, Dana White no longer trusts him, even amid the hype around Jones vs. Alex Pereira at the UFC White House event. Jones has also expressed uncertainty in his latest interview.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I’m working out and eating healthy, I’m living the lifestyle, I’m walking the walk the way I’ve done it my whole life, and I don’t really know what’s gonna happen,” Jones told The Schmo. “Regardless, I take it one day at a time, some things are just out of my control, but I feel good, I feel blessed, whether I fight again or not, I feel wonderful, and I feel so grateful for this life God granted me with.”

Despite losing hope, nothing is ever completely impossible in the UFC. Everything depends on fan support and social media pressure, and Dana White could still change his mind. Who knows, we might even see Conor McGregor and Jon Jones return on the same night.