Alex Pereira has already proved his mettle by running through some of the best fighters MMA has to offer. However, his first coach, Belocqua Wera, believes there is one fighter currently on the UFC roster who could decisively beat the Brazilian star if they ever shared the Octagon. When comparing potential matchups against Jon Jones and Khamzat Chimaev, Wera surprisingly feels that the Chechen would pose the bigger threat to Pereira.

“I think if this June fight was with Jon Jones, Alex might have more trouble, but [Jones] would also end up knocked out,” Wera told Sherdog. “That guy (Khamzat Chimaev) is tough. I see that he has a different attitude; they even call him ‘Wolf.’ He has a different look and usually finds the opponents’ weaknesses. Against this ‘Wolf’ guy, Alex would have to prepare well.”

Surprisingly, Alex Pereira’s coach’s observations predated Chimaev’s title loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. So it’s unclear whether his assessment of Chimaev and his skills has changed since then. But admission is definitely relevant. The former two-division champion has built his reputation on devastating striking and fight-ending power punches, but his wrestling has long been viewed as one of the weaker aspects of his overall fight game.

However, in recent years, Pereira has significantly improved his takedown skills as well as his takedown defense under the tutelage of UFC veteran Glover Teixeira. Even so, Jan Błachowicz still managed to take him down three times out of eight attempts during their clash at UFC 291, showing that grappling-heavy opponents like Khamzat Chimaev can still create problems for ‘Poatan.’

After that fight, Pereira showed noticeable improvement against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, particularly with his takedown defense, successfully fending off 12 attempts. However, the Dagestani fighter still managed to control the clinch exchanges with ‘Poatan,’ despite primarily coming from a striking background rather than grappling.

Based on that performance, Khamzat Chimaev would definitely hold a major edge in the wrestling department. Henry Cejudo also pointed out on the Pound 4 Pound podcast that the Chechen fighter would “100%” defeat Pereira in a fight. However, Jon Jones presents a similarly dangerous, if not even greater, grappling threat, considering how quickly he submitted Ciryl Gane with a guillotine choke at UFC 285.

Regardless of how his coach feels he would fare against Jones and Chimaev, for Alex Pereira, his immediate focus remains on his upcoming clash with Ciryl Gane at the UFC Freedom 250 event, where an interim heavyweight title will be on the line. Speaking about the matchup, ‘Poatan’s coach sounded highly confident that the Brazilian would win.

Coach predicts Alex Pereira’s victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 event

Ahead of the 38-year-old’s opportunity to make history against Ciryl Gane on June 14, fans and experts appear deeply divided over the matchup. Recently, Francis Ngannou, who defeated the Frenchman at UFC 270, suggested that Gane’s movement could present serious problems for Alex Pereira. However, recent odds from FanDuel listed ‘Poatan’ as a slight favorite over ‘Bon Gamin’ for the White House card.

Amid the razor-thin competition, Pereira’s coach believes his student’s strategic approach will ultimately secure the victory at the marquee event.

“I think he should use the ‘Gusto’ to maintain distance, but without letting Gane try to suffocate him, and at the right moment, corner him using the ‘Jawa,’” Belocqua Wera explained. “I believe that if Alex is strategic, he will win by knockout around the third or fourth round. This fight won’t go to the fifth.”

Here, Pereira’s first coach referenced two Filipino martial arts concepts, ‘Gusto’ and ‘Jawa.’ By ‘Gusto,’ he implied that the Brazilian star should continue using aggressive offense, something Pereira already excels at. With the term ‘Jawa,’ he referred to tightening up his defensive awareness. If the former champion successfully blends both approaches while maintaining his guard against potential takedowns, he could gain a significant edge over Gane.

With Pereira stepping into an entirely new challenge, it will be fascinating to see how he performs in a completely different weight class. And if ‘Poatan’ captures the belt, a potential showdown with Jon Jones would undoubtedly be an enticing option for the UFC, if the promotion manages to make it happen. As for Khamzat Chimaev, though, it remains difficult to imagine the UFC allowing the Chechen star to make a move all the way up to heavyweight anytime soon.