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Ultimate Fighting Championship beltholder Alex
Pereira and his team believe they can call the shots on who is
next for him.
Fans of “Poatan” early await his next challenge, after reclaiming
the light heavyweight throne in October 2025. Pereira exacted
revenge on Russia’s Magomed
Ankalaev, knocking him out in 80 seconds to avenge a defeat
suffered months earlier. This made the former kickboxer the third
man to hold the 205-pound title twice, joining Randy
Couture and Jon Jones on
that illustrious list.
While Pereira recovers from an apparent foot injury sustained in
the Ankalaev rematch, the UFC is rumored to be lining up a likely
title eliminator in the form of Carlos
Ulberg against Jiri
Prochazka. Other potential foes include newly minted
middleweight king Khamzat
Chimaev, who has threatened to move up in weight, as well as a
possible “Poatan” move to heavyweight to try to make major MMA
history as a champ in three divisions.
A third option, and the one that he and his camp have pushed for
the most, is a heavyweight encounter with Jones. Speaking with
Sherdog, Pereira’s manager, Ed Soares, feels that of all the
options on the table, a battle against Jones is one that would best
cement his athlete’s all-time great status.
“Obviously, having a chance at a third belt would be something very
special and important for him, but Jon Jones is the fight we want.
It would be a legacy fight,” the manager and Legacy Fighting Alliance CEO argued.
In terms of simply keeping the light heavyweight division moving
and taking on a new test, Pereira’s team suggest that Ulberg would
make the most sense. However, there is one bout in particular that
they have turned their noses at: Chimaev.
“What do you mean,” Soares asked when Chimaev’s name was raised as
a possible adversary. “Chimaev just won the middleweight title and
hasn’t even defended it yet. Look at everything ‘Poatan’ has done
in recent years, it wouldn’t make any sense.”
Heavyweight kingpin Tom
Aspinall still requires some recovery time after multiple
surgeries from his eye pokes from Ciryl Gane,
so an interim heavyweight title has been floated. Soares does not
think that is a decent option either, and has another bout in mind
should that come to fruition.
“If it’s going to be an interim title fight with Gane, they should
call Volkov, who beat him in the first fight,” Soares pitched.
’Pitbull’ in April, Pantoja in June
Soares is not solely the manager of Pereira, and has a stable of
athletes under his umbrella including the aforementioned Volkov.
Both Patricio
Freire and Alexandre
Pantoja remain members of his flock, and he opted to reveal a
bit of information on both.
When it comes to “Pitbull,” Soares claimed that the former Bellator MMA great is in advanced negotiations to
return to the Octagon in April, but could not reveal the
prospective foe or at which event Freire would return. However, he
did have a clearer picture for ex-flyweight champ Pantoja, which
would be a rematch with Joshua Van
this summer.
“There were no fractures or ligament injuries [sustained by
Pantoja],” Soares reiterated. “I believe that in June, it could be
a little before or a little after, Pantoja will already be having
the rematch and regaining his belt.”
