Last week, while defending his title for the third time against Khalil Rountree Jr., UFC light heavyweight king Alex Pereira dismissed all hopes of returning to the middleweight division, a desire he had expressed earlier. He reiterated this decision for the sake of his friendship with Sean Strickland, who is now eyeing the middleweight title against division king Dricus du Plessis. In a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Pereira stated, “We saw that Dricus is going to be fighting. Sean Strickland is a training partner of mine.”

However, with the conclusion of one ongoing rumor, Alex Pereira sparked another by hinting at a move to the heavyweight division. He claimed, “I can move up to heavyweight.” It now appears that Pereira wasn’t joking, as he recently provided an update on his potential heavyweight stint by posting a new picture of himself alongside interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, with a caption that suggested, “This is one of my favorite moments before a fight.”

Pereira disclosed this news while Conor McGregor is pushing Dana White and the UFC to make “Pereira vs. Bones” a reality. ‘Poatan’ has already expressed his intention to dominate the heavyweight division, stating that after ruling the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, he is ready to take on this new challenge. He added, “I’m just talking about fighting for an interim belt. There’s no point for me.” It looks like Mystic Mac is about to make more money on his bets with Alex Pereira, just as he did when the Brazilian joined the light heavyweight league.

Conor McGregor’s Take on Alex Pereira’s Future

During the UFC 307 event week, UFC superstar Conor McGregor remained highly active on social media regarding the event. Although he may not have been in the octagon for the last 3 plus years, his tweets and commentary show that ‘The Notorious One’ is still an integral part of the promotion. Interestingly, McGregor earned more from the event than many fighters, having placed a bet on Alex Pereira to win by knockout just moments before the fight walkout. This risk paid off, as he walked away with $200,000.

McGregor didn’t stop there; from his home, while watching the event on TV, he reacted to Pereira’s interview with Joe Rogan. He suggested that Pereira is made for heavyweight, claiming, “Heavyweight—you call for heavyweight now. Ah, leave it out if he says drop down to middleweight. Heavyweight! Don’t lie to yourself; that was a heavy cut. You’ve already done it, heavyweight!”

What are your thoughts on Alex Pereira vs. Tom Aspinall? Do you think it’s a matchup every fan wants, or should Pereira stick with Jon Jones? Drop your opinion below.