After conquering both the kickboxing and MMA worlds, Alex Pereira now has his sights set on an entirely different arena—boxing. As he prepares to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, ‘Poatan’ seems eager to test his skills in the squared circle. With rumors swirling about his potential boxing debut, even heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been put on alert, as Pereira appears dead serious about making his mark.

In a conversation with New York Post Sports, Alex Pereira expressed uncertainty about the division’s plans for him after his title defense against Magomed Ankalaev. He also revealed his interest in venturing into the boxing world, “Yeah, I’m not really sure who would be next in my division, so we could definitely start looking at that. You know, maybe moving up to heavyweight, or who knows, maybe even going and doing a boxing match.”

When asked whether it is too difficult for him to put on weight to compete in the heavyweight division, Pereira asserted that 235 lbs is his walkaround weight, “You know, a couple of weeks ago, I was weighing about 235, and that’s really heavy for me. You know, I’m usually around 229-230, but I think that would be a good weight for me to move up. So, you know, I think it’s natural—the body gets heavier, and you get bigger.”

Now many of you might be wondering, why Oleksandr Usyk should be worried about Alex Pereira making a confession about boxing. Well, that’s because the light-heavyweight champion wants to fight the undisputed heavyweight champion of boxing. In a recent interview, he expressed openness to the idea, particularly after hearing Usyk mention his interest in a “show fight” against the Brazilian.

“I’ve said that before, that I would really like to do a boxing match. And was asked against who. Since I’m the champion, I said it would have to be against a champion, and he’s the champion. And now he’s given an interview and mentioned my name,” said Alex Pereira. Well, the UFC champ is willing to step inside the boxing world but will he be able to clash against the heavyweight champ? A former boxing world champion would beg to differ.

British boxing legend disregards Alex Pereira against Oleksandr Usyk

During a conversation with Rampage Jackson, Alex Pereira expressed his desire to fight Oleksandr Usyk. As Pereira made this revelation, the MMA community erupted with excitement, and with Usyk’s confirmation, anticipation began to build. However, unlike the rest of the world, British boxing legend Carl Froch isn’t too enthusiastic about the prospects of this matchup.

He strongly feels that “Pereira won’t have a chance. I’ve recently watched, it was last night. I watched Alex Pereira sparring on YouTube and he’s okay. He’s a little bit upright, chin’s in the air a bit, but it’s just he’s a bit bolt rigid and no head movement and quite basic. Usyk’s dealt with the best in the world,” Froch told fans on his YouTube channel.

He further added, “So Usyk against Pereira in a boxing match based on what I’ve seen of Pereira… Oleksandr Usyk against Pereira in a boxing ring for me, it’s a mismatch. It’s not really something I’d want to see.” The UFC light-heavyweight champion does have his shortcomings but that’s what brought him fame in the sport of blood. Given that, do you agree with Carl Froch’s statement? State your thoughts in the comments below.