There are very few fighters in the UFC who have had a rise like Brazilian powerhouse Alex Pereira. Just seven fights in the UFC were enough for him to first become the middleweight champion, shift to light heavyweight, and become the champion there too. The 37-year-old’s last appearance at UFC 303 turned out to be a dream after he knocked out Jiri Prochazka in the second round. Since then, ‘Poatan’ has been eyeing a move to the heavyweight division in quest of a third title.

However, it seems Dana White isn’t quite a fan of the move. The 55-year-old, in a recent chat with Kevin Iole, laid out the only condition that will see Pereira competing in the heavyweight division. He said on Iole’s YouTube channel, “To think about him to moving up to heavyweight. When you talk about guys like Ciryl Gane, Aspinall, Volkov, these guys are monsters.”

Iole then tried to become a bit of a matchmaker and asked White about his opinion of Alex Pereira taking on Ciryl Gane. White was quick to respond, “Ciryl Gane is huge, man… he is athletic. He is powerful… I like Alex… Let Alex do what he’s doing in the division. And you know what? If he wipes out the entire division and we are sitting here, who’s next? Then let him move up to heavyweight and do some type of super fight there.” Well, Pereira has already defeated most top contenders. Magomed Ankalaev is the one high-ranking fighter he hasn’t faced. Is he next in line?

The light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira has defended his title twice in a matter of months. On both occasions, he knocked out his opponents claiming his authority. And a move to the heavyweight division seems even more lucrative after the champion, Jon Jones, showed his interest in fighting the Brazilian.

Interesting Fact: Out of 11 victories in his MMA career, Alex Pereira won nine of them via KO/TKO and two through decisions. His sheer dominance is visible as he has fought names like Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, and other big names.

The Brazilian is currently waiting for his next fight in his current division. While most fans want to see him go for a third title, ‘Poatan’ is in no hurry at the moment. During the post-fight press conference at UFC 303, the Brazilian shared his plans.

Alex Pereira feels he needs some planning before moving to the heavyweight division

Alex Pereira is currently on a four-fight winning streak and is looking unstoppable at the moment. So what’s next for ‘Poatan’? Is he eyeing a third title? It seems the 37-year-old wants to take a cautious approach before deciding anything about his future.

During his post-fight interview at UFC 303, Pereira said, “…in my future” about his move to the heavyweight division. However, during the post-fight press conference, he gave a detailed picture. The champion at the moment is in no hurry despite Jon Jones showing his interest in fighting him next.

He said, “Man, for heavyweight, it’s something I gotta do preparation, I gotta be prepared so I don’t know for next step right now. You guys saw I took this fight on two week’s notice, for heavyweight gotta be more planned, so right now, I’m just focused on defending my title.” 

Pereira’s hesitance in making a move to the 265-pound division is understandable as the division is already stacked with multiple fighters. At the same time, if Pereira and Jones want to clash, they might have to start pushing it. After all, both the fighters are 37 years old.

Should Alex Pereira make a move to the heavyweight division next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.