Alex Pereira has one goal in mind after avenging his loss to Magomed Ankalaev. And that’s moving up to heavyweight for a showdown with Jon Jones. The UFC hasn’t officially signed off on Pereira’s bid to compete in a third weight class, but the buzz is already electric. Jones has even apologized to Dana White in hopes of making the fight happen—a clash that many believe could headline next year’s UFC White House card. For now, though, fans are left to fuel the matchup with imagination.

Those imaginations got a jolt of realism when ‘Poatan’ stepped in to spar with a towering 6’7” heavyweight during a recent training session. On Saturday, Alex Pereira visited the Fusion X-Cel gym in Florida, where he traded explosive shots with Cuban heavyweight Robelis Despaigne. A clip of their intense session started circulating on social media after Pereira shared it, giving fans a tantalizing glimpse of what a move to heavyweight might look like.

Alex Pereira knocks out the challenger

‘Poatan’ shared the clip on Instagram with the caption, “CHAMA.” In the video, the two can be seen trading light jabs as they feel each other out. Early on, Robelis Despaigne found success with his jab and cross upstairs, while Pereira targeted the body. But things escalated quickly when the Brazilian suddenly leaped forward with a sharp left hand that visibly stunned the Cuban heavyweight. 

From there, both men began throwing heavier shots as Pereira forced Despaigne back against the wall. Just as the exchange was heating up, the round-ending buzzer sounded, and the pair touched gloves to close the session. It’s also worth noting that during Pereira’s visit to the gym, a fighter in the gym challenged him to a hard spar. Pereira accepted—though the challenger likely regretted it moments later. 

The Brazilian hammered the body repeatedly before landing a final shot to the chin that dropped the challenger flat on the canvas. Spectators watched in disbelief as the man hit the floor. His identity remains unclear, though some reports suggest he may be named Neil. Returning to Despaigne, the 6’7” heavyweight made his UFC debut in March 2024 against Josh Parisian. 

Although he won that fight, he suffered back-to-back losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane later that year, which ultimately led to his release from the roster. Despite his unimpressive UFC run, fans quickly connected the dots. To many, Pereira’s sparring session with a towering heavyweight looked like a test run—a silhouette of what a future showdown with Jon Jones might entail.

Pereira’s sparring session compared to Attack on Titan

Among the commenters, former UFC talent and current BKFC champion Mike Perry praised Pereira’s showing against a heavyweight. “Incredible 👏,” he wrote. What made it even more impressive was that the heavyweight was much taller with a longer reach. 

Another user celebrated that they got to watch Alex Pereira fight for free. “Da people pay PPV for this, and we get to see it for free,” the user wrote. However, you don’t always get the trash talk or buildup to fights, which makes them even more exciting.

Meanwhile, this user felt the clip ended just when things were starting to look interesting. “When it started to get well, the video ends 😢,” the user commented. They may have continued the sparring session, but a video of the whole thing doesn’t exist. 

Someone else felt the sparring session was exactly how a fight against Jon Jones would unfold. “Sparring [simulation] Jon Jones!🗿🔥,” the user commented. However, Jones, who is considered the greatest mixed martial artist, might not be as easy to deal with. 

The next user questioned how big Pereira’s opponents have to be to make Pereira seem small. “How big does the guy have to be to make Poatan look small 👀,” the user commented. Well, Mark Hunt, a heavyweight, stood at just 5’10”, while Pereira is 6’4”, so size isn’t exactly his problem. He simply needs to add more muscle to fill out a true heavyweight frame.

Someone else felt they were watching the hit anime series ‘Attack on Titan.’ “This is like ATTACK on Titans 😮👊🏼,” the user commented. The reference, of course, exaggerates the height difference between Pereira and Despaigne. 

Having said that, it appears Alex Pereira had an interesting day at the gym. Knocked out one opponent, and scared another—whether this would translate against Jon Jones is anyone’s guess. But what do you think?