It’s the classic ‘Will they, won’t they’ situation between Alex Pereira and Jon Jones right now. However, amid all the speculation about their potential fight on the UFC White House card in June this year, ‘Poatan’ has dropped a concerning update that may see the fight end up like Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler—in the gutters. So, what happened?

As the UFC-Paramount era kicked off with UFC 324 on January 24, the Brazilian kickboxer was at the T-Mobile Arena for the event. As the 38-year-old arrived at the venue with his long-time trainer, Plinio Cruz, ‘The Schmo’ aka Dave Schmulenson, cornered him with questions about his potential fight against Jon Jones at the UFC White House card.

Alex Pereira doesn’t know what’s next

“It’s actually a question that I would like to ask too,” Pereira said when asked whether his next fight would be against Jones. The comment raises concerns, as Alex Pereira appeared to suggest that even he is unsure about the fight’s status. UFC CEO Dana White showed little enthusiasm when Pereira first floated the idea following his win over Magomed Ankalaev.

At the time, Dana White pointed out that there was already plenty of business left to handle in the light heavyweight division. Despite that stance, ‘Poatan’ has continued to push for the matchup, even expressing his willingness to move up to heavyweight to make it happen. Jones, for his part, has also indicated that he would come out of retirement for the fight.

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However, White has admitted he is not quite ready to place his trust in Jones again after the former champion abruptly retired last year without delivering the highly anticipated bout against Tom Aspinall. Even so, Pereira remains unfazed by the uncertainty, insisting, “But you know me, you know me very well. You know that I like to fight.”

When pressed further about a potential heavyweight clash with Jones, Pereira told ‘The Schmo,’ “I’m ready. I’ve been training. Start my training again. Doesn’t matter [the weight.] Just want to fight.” White has previously stated that he would begin working on the lineup for UFC White House once UFC 324 and Zuffa Boxing 1 concluded.

With both events now in the books, official news regarding the card is expected to follow—although exactly when remains unclear. In the meantime, the rivalry between Jon Jones and Alex Pereira continues to grow.

Jon Jones responds to ‘Poatan’ Pereira’s tire shop callout

During a recent visit to Brazil, Pereira returned to the tire shop where he once worked and used the moment to send a message to Jones and the UFC. “We’re here in the tire shop, chama,” Pereira said, before revealing a tire marked with “Next Jones UFC.”

The former two-division champion didn’t take long to respond. Jones, who owns notable victories over Brazilian legends including Maurício ‘Shogun’ Rua, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, Glover Teixeira, and Thiago Santos, reminded Pereira of his track record.

“I beat a lot of legends from your country, my friend,” Jones said. “I know you’d love to avenge the boys, but you’d be a good one to add to my list. Be careful what you wish for.”

It looks like the only hurdle to making Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira is the UFC. There are several months left till June, so it would be interesting to see whether that hurdle is cleared before then. Do you think this fight will end up happening?