Alex Pereira’s longtime coach Plinio Cruz is done watching from the sidelines. Now, the veteran coach is officially getting back in the fight game, and he’s not easing into it. Instead, the 40-year-old is jumping straight into a heavyweight title fight against Chase DeMoor at Misfits Boxing’s October 10 event in London.

After months of uncertainty around the matchup, Cruz finally confirmed the news himself on social media, revealing that he’ll be fighting for the Misfits Boxing heavyweight championship.

“Yep, after all these years I’m doing this again, happy and inspired to be fighting for the @MisfitsBoxing Heavyweight Title on October 10th in London, Chama 🔥,” Cruz wrote on X.

This fight was actually supposed to happen sooner, but things got messy after DeMoor’s previous outing where he knocked out Kevin Nagle to win the WBC belt. The 30-year-old reportedly suffered an injury sparring after his WBC US Silver title win, leaving his status for the matchup up in the air.

Cruz, however, wasn’t exactly interested in waiting around. Even after finding out his original fight with DeMoor had fallen through, Pereira’s coach made it clear he was still ready to step in and throw down.

“So I got a call from Mams Taylor saying that Chase DeMoor got his eye ‘injured’ fighting that 400-pound UPS truck driver on his ‘WBC’ title fight and can’t fight me on the Misfits Boxing September 26th card,” Cruz previously wrote. “I trained for months and have put in the work everyday for this.

“I’m ready to fight; it doesn’t matter how many rounds, so now let’s see who they match me up against.”

The 40-year-old wasn’t ready to completely close the door on DeMoor, though. He admitted he’d still be interested in making the fight happen down the line if the opportunity came back around. Well, that “later date” has finally arrived.

Misfits Boxing confirmed on September 18 that the two will now meet at London’s Copper Box Arena, with Cruz finally getting the shot he’s been waiting for and a heavyweight title on the line.

For Cruz, this is a pretty wild change of scenery. Most fans know the Brazilian as the man in Pereira’s corner, not the guy actually throwing the punches. The 40-year-old is a former World MMA Awards Coach of the Year and has played a major role in the development of former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

But it is worth noting that Plinio Cruz has been a fighter himself, too, going 8-9 as a professional in MMA before stepping away from competition.

Now, instead of standing outside the cage barking instructions at ‘Poatan,’ Cruz will be the one stepping between the ropes with a championship on the line, all thanks to some convincing from the former UFC double champion. However, chances are that the bout still might fall through. Especially since the reigning champion still has a condition to be met.

Chase DeMoor demands 8-Round fight from Alex Pereira’s coach

The real drama wasn’t just about getting the fight back on the books. Even before Alex Pereira’s coach and DeMoor finally locked in a new date, the two sides were already butting heads over another key detail: how many rounds they would actually fight.

The 30-year-old also pushed back on Plinio Cruz’s version of why their original matchup fell apart, making it clear that he didn’t believe the situation was as simple as an eye injury keeping him out.

After Cruz blamed DeMoor’s injury for the delay, the heavyweight champion fired back, even sharing messages involving Taylor as he gave his side of the story.

“I’m not sure where you got your information, but that is incorrect. I’ve not been medically suspended or cleared to fight yet, but clearance doesn’t happen until next week,” he wrote on X. “I also took zero damage in my fight against Kevin Nagle. The issue you’re referring to happened during sparring on Tuesday, and they simply wanted to make sure I was good to go.

“I’ve since been cleared as long as I pass my eye exam scheduled EARLY next week and all signs point to fighting. The real reason this is taking so long is because you and your team refuse to agree to a sanctioned 8-round fight. Let’s stick to the facts and stop spreading false information.”

That demand has now resurfaced following the announcement of their October 10 bout. With the matchup now official, DeMoor brought the eight-round condition right back into the spotlight.

“8 rounds or no fight, pal. I’m dead a–,” he wrote on X.

That’s a pretty significant demand considering Cruz has never fought an eight-round professional bout. In fact, his entire professional combat sports career has been in MMA, where non-title fights are typically three rounds and championship bouts go five.

Now, he’s potentially looking at eight rounds inside a boxing ring against the reigning Misfits heavyweight champion.

The 30-year-old, on the other hand, has spent plenty of time going the distance in boxing. The heavyweight champion has already competed in five-, six- and eight-round fights multiple times, although his knack for finding the finish means he hasn’t always needed all those rounds to get the job done.

That makes the eight-round demand more than just trash talk. The Brazilian has plenty of MMA experience and has spent years working alongside some of the best fighters in the sport, but this is a completely different test.

Now, Alex Pereira’s coach will be stepping into a boxing ring against a heavyweight champion who is far more accustomed to the pace and demands of longer boxing fights.

It is worth noting that Cruz’s comeback is just one of several moving pieces Misfits Boxing has had to deal with lately. The promotion recently revealed that UFC legend Henry Cejudo is out of his planned Miami matchup with Deen the Great, with Euphoria star and boxer Javon Walton stepping in as his replacement.

The 20-year-old enters the fight with a 3-0-1 professional record and a 20-9 amateur record. He also signed with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions in 2023.

But for now, all eyes are back on London. Plinio Cruz has spent years helping Alex Pereira, one of MMA’s biggest stars prepare for championship fights. Now, on October 10, he’ll get the chance to find out what it feels like to chase championship gold himself.