Alex Pereira‘s rise in the UFC has been startling. In only seven fights in the Dana White-led promotion, the Brazilian became a two-division champion! Three fights later, he would become the face of the UFC and by extension the entire sport. Oh, and did we mention, ‘Poatan’ only had his first UFC fight just three years ago!

Since he has done things that were thought to be nigh impossible before, he has run into his fair share of critics and naysayers. Including, UFC CEO Dana White, who admitted that he had predicted Pereira would be pieced up by light heavyweights on the ground but was proven wrong by ‘Poatan’s stellar run. Pereira’s latest win against Khalil Rountree Jr. this Saturday, and his unprecedented success, Daniel Cormier feels, has put the Brazilian on the route to being one of the best ever.

“Dana had to eat crow last time Pereira fought. He said ‘I was wrong.’ He goes ‘I thought he would have came here and everybody would have just kept taking him down and he would have not had much success.’ He goes ‘I was so wrong on this guy.’ That is big coming from Dana, that is huge ’cause he doesn’t want to sit there and go ‘Ah, I’m not very good.’ Pereira has shown he can do that. Perera is in the conversation for the greatest of all time,” ‘DC’ said on his ESPN MMA Show.

Of course, Pereira has called for a move up to heavyweight for a shot at becoming the UFC’s first three-division champion. And that could open the door for ‘Poatan’ to join the ranks of Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, and Georges St-Pierre in the Mt. Rushmore of MMA, according to ‘DC’.

‘DC’ feels a heavyweight title win will make Alex Pereira the GOAT

Continuing his praise of Alex Pereira, Cormier felt that the 205-pound champ was on the cusp of becoming a front-runner in the MMA GOAT conversation. If, ‘DC’ felt, ‘Poatan’ could indeed move up to heavyweight and win the title there, or even defend his light heavyweight title a couple more times, he would indeed have a very good case for being the greatest.

“Not yet quite the greatest but like you said if he can somehow win a fight at heavyweight compete for the championship or continue to defend this belt at light heavyweight I don’t know that you can even question it,” Cormier said.

Pereira, it seems, is well aware of this fact. This is probably why he wanted to go to heavyweight in the first place and also the reason he has been remarkably active in the UFC. But, of course, this is the UFC, and the fans are famously fickle. And that is why the Brazilian needs to tread with caution; one loss could derail this entire narrative and maybe even knock him out of the GOAT debate. What are your thoughts on Cormier’s take on Alex Pereira’s future?