Dana White Almost Intimidates Alex Pereira Against Heavyweight Move Despite Early KO at UFC 300 – ‘You Got Jones…’

Published 04/14/2024, 2:34 PM EDT

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereria wants to move up and fight at heavyweight. ‘Poatan’, after his spectacular first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, told Joe Rogan in the octagon interview, that he wanted to fight at heavyweight in Brazil next month.

It seems that the Brazilian is aiming to become UFC’s first three-division champion after winning a title at middleweight and light heavyweight. However, UFC CEO Dana White doesn’t think it’s a good idea and has cautioned the light heavyweight champion against moving up to the UFC’s heaviest division, citing the tough competition from the likes of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

“So when you think about him [Alex Pereira] moving up to heavyweight, you know, you got Jones, you got Aspinall, and the list goes on and on in that heavyweight division. The heavyweight division is nasty, I don’t know if that’s the right move for him,” White said in the UFC 300 post-fight press conference.

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“He looked damn good tonight in the division he’s in, so I think you might want to stick around there for a minute. But I don’t know these are all things that we’ll talk about for the next 15-20 days, you know what I mean. So we’ll get it figured out,” he added.

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It is significant that while the UFC CEO didn’t think Pereira moving to heavyweight would be a very good idea, he did not shut the door on it. And ‘Poatan’ may yet convince the UFC boss that a move to heavyweight would be best. However, given his striking-heavy game, he would be more susceptible to being grappled with by the heavier opponents at heavyweight.

Alex Pereira likely to find grapplers difficult to handle at 270

After only seven fights in the UFC, Alex Pereira has become a two-division champion and one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. His legendary, one-punch knockout power and unconventional fighting style makes him a significant challenge at 185 and 205 — both the divisions he has fought at.

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While it remains to be seen whether this power converts to heavyweight, his lack of ground game against bigger opponents at the UFC’s heaviest weight class may prove a handicap, and makes him susceptible to being taken to and dominated on the ground. This has happened to ‘Poatan’ at light heavyweight already, at his 205-pound debut against Jan Blachowicz.

But, Alex Pereira is an extraordinary fighter, who has dominated two different combat sports over the course of his martial arts career. If there ever was a fighter who could successfully move to heavyweight and become a three-division champion, it is Alex Pereira.

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Written by:

Kanishk Thakur is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports with nearly 5 years of professional writing experience. Kanishk has expertly covered the heated rivalries of the fight game, and delivered meticulous reports of payouts of PPV events and Fight Nights, in addition to covering the personal side of fighters outside the sport. He is also an ardent Joe Rogan fan, who hopes to draw in more fans to the sport as Rogan did for him.

Dana White Almost Intimidates Alex Pereira Against Heavyweight Move Despite Early KO at UFC 300 – ‘You Got Jones…’

Alex Pereira likely to find grapplers difficult to handle at 270

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