Dana White explains apprehension to allow Alex Pereira to pursue heavyweight title shot after UFC 303

Dana White clarifies stance on Alex Pereira at heavyweight

In the course of the UFC 303 post-fight press convention, White was requested about his lack of pleasure for Pereira’s potential heavyweight transfer.

“It’s not that I’m not into it, the man was a middleweight, then strikes as much as mild heavyweight. He’s had a pair fights there, defended his title, but it surely’s not like this man has been within the division for 2 years and he ran by everybody that’s within the division,” White mentioned of Pereira. “I feel that when you consider…when these two squared off, these guys are f***ing monsters, man. They’re massive guys. Think about they have been each middleweights at one time…nearly as good as Jon Jones is, when Jon Jones was shifting as much as heavyweight, we have been like ‘That is gonna be attention-grabbing’…

“It wasn’t…if he cleaned out a division and there was nobody left for this man to combat, and he’s 37…however that’s not the case. He was 230[lbs] in the present day… Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin used to stroll round at 230 and reduce to 205. That’s not massive, a few of these heavyweights are chopping [a lot of weight] to 265. That’s the issue with the dialog we’re having, and why individuals aren’t giving Jon Jones the respect for pound-for-pound.”

White’s feedback are a bit stunning, given his previous tendency to welcome multi-division championship pursuits. However, as Jones will get able to face Stipe Miocic later this yr, the heavyweight title image is already clogged with expertise.

Pereira is likely one of the high pound-for-pound MMA fighters only a handful of fights into his skilled profession. He captured the then-vacant mild heavyweight title at UFC 295 earlier than defeating Jamahal Hill in April.

If Pereira captured a 3rd division title, he could be the primary UFC fighter to perform such a feat. However, plainly White has different plans in thoughts for Pereira earlier than he dives into uncharted waters.