At UFC 303, it took Alex Pereira just two rounds to dispose of an elite fighter like Jiri Prochazka. He took the fight with just two weeks’ notice. No doubt, Joe Rogan stated he wanted to see ‘Poatan’ at heavyweight. Everyone has one question in mind: Can the Brazilian create history by dominating a third division?

It seems Jon Jones, the heavyweight champion, is ready to give Pereira the opportunity. However, he was not going to make it too easy for the LHW champion. Since Jones has been on the receiving end of some serious flak for insisting on fighting Stipe Miocic over interim champion Tom Aspinall, he decided to kill two birds with one stone with his latest declaration.

In an X post, Jon Jones wrote, “When I beat Miocic, I might give him [Alex Pereira] a chance but only if he beats Aspinall. In any case, it would be an easy night for me. I would choke him out just like I did Gane. I’m the king of the jungle.”

Alex Pereira, too, has been looking at the heavyweight division for quite some time now and wants to move up as soon as possible. Speaking of the same, 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.”

The light heavyweight champ might be confused by fans aren’t. For many of them, UFC 303 showed that the fighter was ready to take up a new challenge. In fact, the event was a spectacle of ironies. The main event saw Alex Pereira, who replaced Conor McGregor after the latter pulled out due to a toe injury, injure his own toe during the head kick, and pop it back into place before his victory lap.

This was the second ‘Chama’ moment from ‘Poatan’ in a span of three months after he pulled the Khaby Lame celebration over Jamahal Hill in April at UFC 300. So, it was hard for Jones to ignore Pereira’s momentum, backed by the fans’ cries for a heavyweight move. But let us not forget that it took ‘Bones’ three years of preparation to switch from light heavyweight to heavyweight. Pereira, 36, might not have the luxury of time if he wants to face Jones, 36.

The light heavyweight champ even had a banter with Tom Aspinall and there were talks that he would be clashing against the interim heavyweight champion at UFC 300, but it never materialized. Meanwhile, Jon Jones’s return to the Octagon might happen soon and Alex Pereira’s rising dominance might be a threat to the heavyweight belt. But for Jones, it’s just another day in the office.

So when is Pereira going to the heavyweight division? Well, we might not have an answer to that just now. However, Dana White is not convinced that the Brazilian is ready for a change.

Why Dana White is not sold on Alex Pereira moving up to heavyweight?

Jumping divisions is not a joke. It might work in your favor or completely against it. However, Alex Pereira is up for the challenges. He already moved from middleweight to light heavyweight, and things worked well for him. Pereira has fought only nine times in the UFC and has already become a two-division champion. His grind is visible but Dana White still believes that the Brazilian should wait more before his jump.

At the UFC 303 post-fight press conference, White said, “It’s not that I’m not into it… If he cleaned out the division, and we were like, ‘There’s literally nobody for this guy to fight,’ and he’s 37, if he wants to move up to heavyweight – but that’s not the case, You said he was 230 (pounds) today, right? Chuck (Liddell) and Forrest Griffin used to walk around at 230 and they would cut down to 205. That’s not big. Some of these heavyweights are 265, they’re cutting to 265. It’s just a whole other level.”

Dana White isn’t wrong here. Let us take former heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, as an example. He has a walk-around weight of 285 lbs. Similarly, Jon Jones took years to put on weight. While Pereira walks around like a heavyweight, there are fighters in the 265 lbs division who are heavier, could withstand Poatan’s power, and counter him with their wrestling (Curtis Blaydes for example). Then there are heavy hitters like Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall who could match up well standing.

Surely, Pereira is not the one to shrink from a challenge, but as a promoter, White would not want his hottest commodity to risk it all. Besides, he still has work left at 205 lbs. Dana White wants Pereira to defend his title one more time and that too against Magomed Ankalaev before jumping to heavyweight. Then there is Jamahal Hill, who has already called for a rematch, waiting on the sidelines. The light heavyweight division has a lot going on.

What’s your take on the entire scenario? State your thoughts in the comments below.