For the majority of the UFC community, there is no other credible contender for Alex Pereira to defend his light heavyweight title than Russian ace, Magomed Ankalaev. But is that really it? Although Ankalaev stands out as a deserving contender for the title shot, ‘Poatan’ might have some other options as well. So, as we end this year and enter 2025 in a few days, let’s take a look at some potential options for Pereira for his next fight that Dana White could go ahead with.

Alex Pereira has been an unstoppable force in the UFC as he went on to conquer two divisions in record time, or seven fights, to be exact. As one of the biggest stars in Dana White’s promotion, there’s been a lot of talk about some high-profile fights, and at the top of that list is a fight against the greatest of all time, Jon Jones.

Alex Pereira vs Jon Jones

Certainly, the biggest fight Alex Pereira can get, Jon Jones, as his next opponent could be a big one. Moreover, it was ‘Bones’ himself who expressed his eagerness to take on the Brazilian ace as he turned down a fight against the interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, claiming Pereira has a better legacy than the Englishman.

As the undisputed heavyweight champion threatened to hang up his gloves once and for all, something that he’s been hinting at since 2023 if he doesn’t get the fight he wants, Jon Jones said, “If the bosses don’t want the Alex Pereira fight to happen, then I’ll just move on with my life.” He further stated, “You can either lose me or get one more super fight … and that’s with Alex Pereira.”

However, there is a big issue here with this fight, and that’s the fact that Dana White doesn’t believe that the Jon Jones vs Alex Pereira fight is the right thing to do. In fact, he believes there is a huge size discrepancy at play. “You know what tonight [UFC 309’s marine event] told me? There’s no f***ing way I make the Pereira fight. Jon’s too big,” the UFC CEO stated at the UFC 309 post-fight pressers.

Nevertheless, Jon Jones can always come back down to light heavyweight, given that he spent the majority of his career in that division. But if he doesn’t get to fight Alex Pereira, maybe one of the Brazilian’s former rivals can. Let’s take a look at that front.

Alex Pereira could fight the winner of Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill

Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill have been relentless in their pursuit to reclaim the 205-pound goal after both of them relinquished the title following injury issues. Moreover, when both of them returned to action, their immediate title shot against Alex Pereira saw both former champions falter via knockout losses. In fact, Prochazka has suffered two knockout losses to the reigning champion.

But as they go back in the line to face each other at UFC 311, they have a real chance to get into the title picture again. They might even take Magomed Ankalaev’s spot in the title shot conversation, and fight Alex Pereira. They both have traded verbal jibes with each other as they inch closer to the clash, but there’s a problem here as well.

Alex Pereira has already beaten Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka in a pretty dominating fashion, so he may not want another rematch and instead look for a fresh opponent. If that appears to be the case with ‘Poatan’, he may have another high-profile clash waiting for him. If you’ve guessed it already, yes, it’s Tom Aspinall.

Alex Pereira vs Tom Aspinall

If there’s one potential fight that Dana White hasn’t necessarily dismissed, it is the fight between Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira. Moreover, the Englishman was the one who showed a lot of interest in this idea after ‘Poatan’ claimed that he might attempt to be the first one to win three divisional titles after moving to the heavyweight division.

Claiming that he understands the danger Alex Pereira poses, Tom Aspinall told ‘BT Sports’, “I’m not fussy who I fight… If they tell me that I’ve got to fight him, I’m obviously gonna fight him,” prior to his UFC 304 title defense. “If I fight Alex Pereira, that’s going to be one of the toughest fights in my career, and I’ll be treating it that way.”

Dana White hasn’t turned down the idea of that fight, but the UFC CEO still believes that Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall have a lot of work to do in the respective divisions. While Alex Pereira has defended his belt thrice now, the Englishman has only done it once so far. So, it remains to be seen what materializes for Pereira and if Magomedov Ankalaev has to wait some more for his impending title shot.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.