Alex Pereira’s weight cut has always been the stuff of legend. The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion has made a habit of defying biology, dropping nearly 30 pounds in the final weeks before fight night, only to balloon back up within hours. Before UFC 320, he did it again. Pereira stepped on the scale Friday morning at 204.5 pounds, and by the next day, a video surfaced showing him weighing a staggering 232.4 pounds.

As jaw-dropping as it sounds, it’s nothing new for ‘Poatan.’ But what happens when his body decides it’s had enough? Pereira himself has recently admitted that cutting to light heavyweight may soon be impossible, saying, “Obviously, my body gets heavier. I don’t know how long I can cut to 205. We’re just going to have to see and take it fight by fight.” And that’s where Joe Rogan’s latest theory comes in!

Joe Rogan throws his weight behind Alex Pereira’s move up to heavyweight against Tom Aspinall

During his recent chat with Michael ‘Venom’ Page on the JRE MMA Show #170, the veteran UFC color commentator floated a matchup that might just set the MMA world on fire: Alex Pereira vs. Tom Aspinall at heavyweight! It began with a small remark. Rogan mentioned hearing that Pereira was “super heavy coming into this week.” Page was surprised, “Oh, is it?” to which Rogan replied, “I heard he’s like 230 going into this week.” That number raised eyebrows. It wasn’t just a sign of Pereira’s massive weight recovery; it hinted at something bigger. The Brazilian was already walking around at heavyweight numbers before even fighting at light heavyweight!

Page laughed it off, suggesting maybe Pereira had become too comfortable with his cut. Rogan, though, saw opportunity as he stated, “Well, he has talked about moving up, and so has Ankalaev,” Rogan noted. Then came the line that lit up the MMA community as the JRE host stated on episode #170, “He’s got the skill set and Aspinall is going to need some f— challengers. Unless Ciryl Gane beats him, right?”

That’s Rogan’s “one reason.” Tom Aspinall, the new undisputed heavyweight king, might soon find himself short of fresh challengers. Jon Jones has retired, despite teasing comebacks online after the UFC White House card was announced. And Ciryl Gane? Well, he’s next in line at UFC 321, but if Aspinall runs through him in Abu Dhabi, then what? Rogan’s answer is simple: send up ‘Poatan’.

Pereira has already conquered two divisions in record time, and he’s never shied away from testing limits. His frame, his power, and his walk-around weight all scream heavyweight. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall has quietly become one of the most efficient finishers in UFC history. Eight wins, seven first-round stoppages. The British champion dismantled everyone from Marcin Tybura to Sergei Pavlovich and has looked virtually untouchable since returning from a knee injury in his first fight against Curtis Blaydes back in 2022.

Should Pereira defeat Magomed Ankalaev and reclaim the light heavyweight title at UFC 320, he would become only the second man, after Randy Couture, to hold UFC gold in two divisions and have multiple reigns. The next logical step? A win over Aspinall would make Pereira the first three-division champion in UFC history, something even Conor McGregor never achieved. The timing might be perfect: Aspinall faces Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, while Pereira’s fate with Ankalaev will be decided in a matter of minutes now.

Two champions on collision courses, both searching for new mountains to climb, and there are already sparks flying between the pair as ‘Poatan’ recently took an issue with the British champion’s evaluation of his resume!

Pereira fires off at Aspinall’s claims about “favorable” matchups

In a recent chat with TNT Sports, the UFC heavyweight champion suggested that Alex Pereira’s road to the top had been padded. Aspinall said he had been given “quite favorable” matchups, pointing to Pereira’s struggles with wrestling-heavy opponents. The Brit even went further, saying, “Just with the threats of the takedown… stylistically [Ankalaev] is a bad matchup for Pereira.”

For Pereira, that statement didn’t sit right. Calm but firm, he shut down the claim during the UFC 320 media day, reminding fans how far he’s come. “We’re talking about the biggest organization in the world,” Pereira said. “I’m a guy who comes from kickboxing, I had no grappling experience, little experience in MMA. We’re talking about the highest level of the sport, so if you were to put the worst guy in the UFC against me, I’d be at disadvantage, so that makes no sense.”

And truthfully, his résumé speaks louder than words. After leaving GLORY Kickboxing in 2020, Pereira transitioned full-time to MMA under the guidance of Glover Teixeira. Within just two years, he rose from knocking out Thomas Powell in LFA to dethroning Israel Adesanya in the UFC. At light heavyweight, he added names like Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree to his list of victims before dropping a decision to Magomed Ankalaev.

As such, Aspinall’s remarks about Poatan’s “favorable matchups” might have been a tactical jab, but they’ve added real heat to a fight that could redefine the heavyweight division. Pereira, proud and unshaken, refuses to let anyone dismiss the gauntlet he’s already conquered. So, if the stars align after UFC 321, and both champions hold their thrones, Rogan’s dream matchup might not just remain a fantasy!