One of the most talked-about cross-division matchups in the UFC is the one that could pit Alex Pereira against either Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall. But what’s the quickest way to make this happen?

‘Poatan,’ the light-heavyweight champion, has indicated in the past that he’d be willing to go for the heavyweight crown as well. While Jones is currently scheduled to face Stipe Mioicic at UFC 309 to defend his undisputed belt, the interim champion Tom Aspinall is waiting in the wings as the backup for the fight. As such, according to UFC veteran Chael Sonnen, there’s only one way to get a ‘super-fight’ between Pereira and the heavyweight titans fast-tracked!

Chael Sonnen lays out the cards that need to fall in place for Alex Pereira’s ‘super-fight’ at heavyweight  

Ever since making his move up the 205 lbs. in 2023, Alex Pereira has looked virtually unstoppable. In 2024, he’s already set the record for the fastest time to secure 3-title defenses in the UFC by taking just 175 days to accomplish the mind-boggling feat! However, could this historic run of dominance get in the way of his ‘super-fight’ aspirations?

In a recent analysis shared on Instagram, Chael Sonnen said the answer may not be as straightforward as Pereira simply clearing out his own division. The UFC veteran stated, “The quickest way you’re ever going to get Pereira and Aspinall together or Pereira and Jon Jones together, the quickest way you’re going to do that is not by Pereira continuing to clean out his division. If he continues to clean it out, yes, you could eventually get there but that road is way longer.”

For Sonnen, Pereira’s journey to this division wasn’t paved by unbroken success — it began after he lost his grip on the middleweight division. This, he argued, was what opened doors for Pereira to try his luck in a new weight class – “If Pereira is to lose at light heavyweight, he’s in there with Aspinall and Jones tomorrow. That is how we got Pereira to the 205 lbs. weight class to start with.”

‘The Bad Guy’, as he’s also known, isn’t wrong in his argument because ‘Poatan’ lost the middleweight crown to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 which prompted his move up to light-heavyweight. However, since moving up a weight class, Pereira has dismantled all challengers for his crown so far!

But even though Chael Sonnen has laid out what he believes is the ideal path for Alex Pereira to secure a showdown against Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall, he’s still worried that the British champion may face the same fate as the names ‘Poatan’ has already run through in the UFC!

Sonnen lays out his concerns for Tom Aspinall as he questions interim heavyweight champion’s UFC career

Tom Aspinall’s UFC career has been nothing short of explosive. Known for his rapid-fire fists and slick Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the British powerhouse has bulldozed his way through every opponent, picking up the interim heavyweight belt along the way. But according to Chael Sonnen, this incredible rise to the top may have left some gaps in Aspinall’s tool kit. What are they?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former UFC middleweight confessed, “I got one concern with Tom, and I’m one of Tom’s biggest advocates, but I do have a concern. In his UFC career, he has only left the first round once.” To Sonnen, cage time isn’t just a technicality—it’s a critical test of endurance and grit. He explained, “I don’t love that a guy hasn’t had to breathe 15 minutes in. I don’t love that a guy hasn’t had his nose put on the other side of his face. I don’t love that a guy hasn’t had to come off the stool behind, tired and hurt, and found a way to win.”

The UFC veteran also noted that Alex Pereira has been tested in battle, showing the toughness needed to survive intense five-round wars. In contrast, Aspinall’s clean wins might seem almost too smooth. Sonnen’s concern is clear, “And at the end of the day, I don’t think Pereira is going to go away from a punch or two.”

So, while Alex Pereira eyes his next move, the tantalizing potential for a ‘super-fight’ against Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall looms. Yet even if fate aligns and Chael Sonnen’s scenario does come true, questions still linger. Could Tom Aspinall, with his explosive style but limited cage time, handle Alex Pereira’s battle-hardened resilience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.