For the past week, fans have been caught between two very different realities. At one point, reports said that Alex Pereira was already scheduled to face Carlos Ulberg in January. The following moment, whispers pointed to something far larger lurking in the background, Jon Jones at the White House.

With ‘Poatan’ openly teasing a move to the heavyweight division, every rumor either feels credible or just too exaggerated. The uncertainty was finally addressed when Ariel Helwani stepped in to set the record straight. And if you’re a Pereira fan, or simply someone who wants the biggest fight the sport has to offer, his update favors you.

Ariel Helwani clears the smoke around Alex Pereira’s future

Ariel Helwani did not mince words when he dropped the fact check on his YouTube channel. According to the MMA insider, Alex Pereira is not set to face Carlos Ulberg.

“The hope is still [the] White House card against Jon Jones… there’s been no discussion of a Carlos Ulberg fight.” With that, the entire online frenzy changed tone.

The more he talked, the more obvious it became that the UFC is going for something unprecedented. While Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes is being promoted as a marquee bout, the true centerpiece, the fight they want to highlight in a historic White House event, is ‘Poatan’ vs. Jon Jones.

“This could all change by tonight,” Helwani added, “but as of Saturday night and yesterday… that’s what I came up with.”

It is worth noting that all this corresponds well with the Brazilian’s own hints about his fight future. In a recent Sports Illustrated interview, the light-heavyweight champion expressed his interest in ‘Bones.’

“My interest in Jon Jones is because of who he is… I think it’s an interesting fight for everyone involved,” he said.

Chasing greatness is nothing new for a man who has jumped weight classes, collected belts, and torn through divisions without blinking—but doing so on the White House lawn? Alex Pereira was born to create legacy-level chaos.

‘Bones,’ meanwhile, continues to feed the flames. He has stated that a bout with Pereira excites him more than facing heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and has even identified the major difference between the two.

“The biggest difference… is the level of footage that I have,” he said.

In other words, he sees Pereira as a fight that will define an era, and one that he truly wants. But what about all the rumors of the Brazilian going one-on-one against Jake Paul? Well, that claim has also been fact-checked, and it is ‘Poatan’ himself who gave clarity on the situation.

Alex Pereira opens up on a potential fight against Jake Paul

When the Jon Jones rumors began to circulate, Jake Paul’s name somehow got dragged into the mix. But rather than avoiding the subject, Alex Pereira addressed it squarely. He confirmed that Paul’s camp floated the idea following Gervonta Davis’ collapse and before the YouTuber-turned-boxer abruptly shifted his focus to Anthony Joshua.

‘The Problem Child’ even stated that Pereira was “down” for it, with only the UFC contract standing in the way. When Pereira eventually spoke out, he did not mock or belittle the idea. Instead, he kept it simple and honest, which is just his approach.

“Yeah, I think it’d be a (hard) challenge for both of us,” he told TMZ Sports. He further added, “I do really well in boxing sparring; I have won pro boxing fights… when you do things you enjoy, you do them well.”

No theatrics or posturing. Just a reminder that he is at ease in the boxing ring and is not faking otherwise. For the time being, however, everything is purely hypothetical. Until the UFC decides on his next move, whether it’s Jones, Ulberg, or someone completely new, any talk about Jake Paul remains irrelevant. Would you like to see square up to the Poatan?