UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira is no stranger to chasing greatness, and his latest ambition is nothing short of historic. The Brazilian powerhouse, known for his devastating knockout power and fierce determination, has his sights set on becoming a three-time champion—a feat that would cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time. But to do that, Pereira is looking to drop back down to the middleweight division and challenge the current king, Dricus Du Plessis.

Pereira once ruled the middleweight roost and hasn’t been shy about his desire to reclaim that throne. With a showdown against Khalil Rountree Jr. scheduled for UFC 307, ‘Poatan’ is already looking beyond, eyeing the South African champ who dethroned Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. And if there’s one thing that has fueled Pereira’s fire even more, it’s the belief that Du Plessis is actively avoiding him.

Pereira hasn’t minced words, accusing Du Plessis of ducking the matchup, suggesting that the South African is too afraid to face him in the Octagon. But Pereira’s message is clear: he’s ready. Recently, he doubled down on his challenge, stating that if Du Plessis is open to the fight, he’s more than willing to step in and throw down.

With the potential for this blockbuster matchup looming, the stakes have never been higher. Will Du Plessis answer Pereira’s call and face the relentless Brazilian? Or will Pereira’s dream of becoming a three-time champion remain just out of reach? UFC fans everywhere are eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this electrifying saga.

Alex Pereira talks about his MW plans

In a recent interview with TNT Sports, he reiterated his whole plan for the middleweight drop and weight cuts. He said,  “It might be a possible fight. I made the move to light heavyweight because I was constantly doing those weight cuts and it took a toll on my body. I need my body to rest from all those heavy-weight cuts. For now, my body is rested. I think I can do it one more time. I already left a message to him that I want to do the fight. But it does not just depend on me, so let’s see if he follows up.”

He has a fight coming up at UFC 307 so is already training for that and the main question is if his body will be well rested after that fight. ‘Poatan’ has already revolutionized the entire dynamic in the MW category and light heavyweight divisions. He has won both belts and only had two losses in his career. However, he still said that making the weight cut to 185lbs would be more difficult than fighting Du Plessis.

He spoke to Full Send MMA and said, “Dricus is an easier fight than fighting Jon Jones. I think gaining weight [185 pounds] will be harder than that fight. I did stop making that weight class because my body because I said my body needed a break, 2-3 fights, without having to do that cut. Now I think I rest long enough, I think I can do that cut [to middleweight] and make that fight happen…”

However, the champ also added that it depends on Du Plessis even though he showed interest. Pereria said that his desired opponent always jokes about it whenever he is presented with the prospect. Meanwhile, there is another fighter who thinks that Poatan might even lose his light heavyweight belt before going down to MW again.

Artem Vakhitov thinks Alex Pereira might not win

The last man to defeat Pereira in kickboxing has spoken about the strategy to beat the champ. Just before UFC 307, he spilled the secret strategy that can be used against Pereira.  He said, “I see it as a basic striker. Only a basic striker can (beat Pereira). Not a basic MMA fighter, wrestler, or grappler. Because all of Alex’s work is focused on striking, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. Someone who knows how to work properly in the stand-up and knows where to defend themselves. I see mistakes, that Pereira has almost no defense.”

So according to him, Pereira has no defense and he attacks to defend himself. He even spoke about Adesanya and how the latter who is a striker managed to KO Pereira in round 2. Now Rountree could use this move to dethrone Pereira at UFC 307.

So do you think Pereira will win and go to MW again? Or will he lose? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.