Alex Pereira defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. via TKO was no surprise. The Brazilian won his last three fights via KO/TKO. Now Magomed Ankalaev seems to be the next title challenger in the light heavyweight division. However, Pereira has been a bit restless in the division lately. He is in constant search of a new division.

Remember, at UFC 305, Dricus Du Plessis defended his title against Israel Adesanya with a submission victory in the fourth round? After the fight, Alex Pereira took to his Instagram account and shared a caption, “Going back to 185 once again.” 

Not to forget, the Brazilian previously held the title in the middleweight division before losing it to Adesanya at UFC 287. However, during his UFC 307 post-fight interview, he made it clear that he is enjoying his time in the division and has no plans to move down to the middleweight as of now. But what happens if the pair ever takes on each other in the middleweight division? ‘Suga’ has the answer for you.

Sean O’Malley recently took to his YouTube channel to watch the UFC 307 fight and seemed highly impressed with the Brazilian. However, he did remind Pereira of the possible threats he might face from ‘Stillknocks’, if he decides to move down in the future.

“I don’t know! DDP is a serious problem. I feel like if DDP could get a hold of him and just kind of drag him down, make it a dirty fight like that… Him and DDP is an interesting fight. Tt’s not a guaranteed fight. Alex Pereira knocks him out. DDP is a dog and there is a 100% chance that Pereira could get taken down by DDP. DDP could I mean you could risk getting knocked out going for the takedown. But I mean, it’s hard to say unless a fight happens. But yeah, that would be so f..ng sweet,” Sean O’Malley said on his YouTube channel.

Well, ‘Suga’ isn’t wrong. Dricus Du Plessis has a background in judo, BJJ, and kickboxing and, as a result, he effortlessly combines grappling and striking, which could prove fatal for Pereira. Additionally, let us not forget how huge ‘Poatan‘ is at middleweight. The weight cut would be brutal.

Dricus Du Plessis is pretty much aware that Pereira has shown interest in fighting him previously. However, the middleweight king is unfazed by the call-out and already has an opponent in mind. Surprisingly, neither Sean Strickland nor Alex Pereira is on his hit list, as revealed by the South African’s coach.

Dricus Du Plessis: His next opponent revealed by coach Morne Visser

Following his impressive victory at UFC 305, Du Plessis has become a target for many fighters. Sean Strickland, who lost his belt to Du Plessis in a closely contested decision at UFC 297, has been vocal about his desire for a rematch. While Du Plessis has expressed openness to the idea, his coach Morne Visser seems less enthusiastic about granting ‘Tarzan’ another opportunity.

Visser recently sat down for a chat with ‘Submission Radio’ earlier this month and gave out details of DDP’s next fight. He said, “My honest opinion is that next in line for us will be Whittaker in Sydney in February,” While many fans are eager to see a rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland, his coach believes that Strickland needs to prove himself further to earn a title shot.

The upcoming UFC 308 event could be a significant opportunity for Robert Whittaker to secure a title shot with a victory. Although Du Plessis’ next opponent has not been officially announced, the anticipation for his next title defense is high.

On the other hand, it is anticipated that Alex Pereira will face Ankalaev next. The Brazilian has also shown interest in moving up to heavyweight and if he successfully cleans up the light heavyweight division, Dana White could allow his move. “I’m 37, so I have to go directly to the top, directly to the belt,” Pereira said in July. “If it’s Jon Jones, if it’s Aspinall, whoever, to me [it] doesn’t matter. I’m just visualizing the belt.”

So it really doesn’t seem like Pereira versus DDP could happen in the future. What do you think?