After defeating Magomed Ankalaev in their UFC 320 rematch, Alex Pereira wants nothing but a superfight against Jon Jones at a White House event. However, ‘Poatan’ recently hinted on Instagram that a clash with ‘Bones’ might not be part of the UFC’s plans for next year. But now, the two-time light heavyweight champion’s biggest rival has something to say about the fight.

Pereira’s longtime adversary, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, was recently present at Alexander Volkanovski’s co-owned Bangtao Muay Thai gym for a seminar. During a Q&A session, ‘the Last Stylebender’ touched on several moments from his career, including his iconic fights with ‘Poatan’. While reflecting on their rivalry, Adesanya seems to be convinced that the Brazilian powerhouse will square off against Jon Jones at the still-unannounced White House card.

Israel Adesanya on potential Alex Pereira vs Jon Jones UFC White House clash

“For me, it was never really about him. It was always about me. I knew technically I’m the only one to hurt this man multiple times. I knew I could always touch him, and I’m so proud of what he is doing now. Two-time light heavyweight champ, he’s back on top now, about to fight Jon Jones at the White House. I hope he never loses.” Adesanya said in the Bangtao Muay-Thai Q&A session.

Well, the former two-time 185 lbs kingpin didn’t officially drop this bombshell. But if it turns out to be true, UFC fans could be in for one of the most fascinating fights of all time. Still, even with all that hype intact, we need to realize that Alex Pereira might also end up fighting Carlos Ulberg. Why?

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Because Dana White has remained hesitant about ‘Poatan’ moving up two weight divisions. Moreover, the UFC CEO has also shown reluctance about Jon Jones headlining the White House card. So even though Israel Adesanya seemingly gave a green light to this matchup, while confessing there’s no rivalry left between them. Only time will tell whether there’s any real chance we get to see this superfight.

However, if the current light heavyweight champion still wants to make the jump to the 265 lbs division, there would be no shortage of stellar fights for him, even if the Jon Jones matchup fails to materialize. Keeping that in mind, Joe Rogan definitely has a solid matchup in mind for Alex Pereira’s potential heavyweight debut.

Joe Rogan wants to see ‘Poatan’ vs Ciryl Gane

Other than the Jon Jones matchup, many UFC fans have wanted to see Alex Pereira face top-level heavyweights like Tom Aspinall. The Brazilian also walks around close to 240 lbs, which means he can comfortably fit into the 265 lbs limit. Based on his walk-around weight, ‘Poatan’s move to heavyweight doesn’t feel far-fetched at all. Understanding this factor, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes Pereira would be an amazing matchup against Ciryl Gane in a future showdown.

“There’s a lot of chatter about him fighting in the heavyweight division now. There’s a lot of chatter about him, perhaps even fighting Ciryl Gane. I don’t know how much is true. I haven’t talked to Dana (White) about it. But it’s not an illogical move.” Rogan said in a recent JRE episode.

Now, if Alex Pereira wants to move to the heavyweight division, this could actually be a really beneficial time for him. The current champion, Tom Aspinall, is reportedly seeking medical assistance for his eyes after Ciryl Gane landed a double eye poke at UFC 321. Because of that, there’s no clear timeline for when the British juggernaut might return. Meanwhile, the Frenchman would need an opponent if Aspinall ends up taking time to recover, and who fits that spot better than ‘Poatan’?

But the only catch here is that if the Brazilian pursues this fight, he would have to vacate the light heavyweight title. Following that relinquishment, Pereira could most likely fight for the interim belt, or even the undisputed title if Aspinall also vacates the 265 lbs strap. That said, do you think we are about to see a massive shake-up as his return draws closer? Let us know in the comments section below.