Alex Pereira has made his intentions known about chasing an unprecedented record after his spectacular win at UFC 303 but Dana White isn’t entirely on board with the idea. ‘Poatan’ finished Jiri Prochazka in the second round of their light-heavyweight rematch after Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from the event prompted Pereira to step up on short notice in the main event in place of the Irish MMA icon.

After securing his incredible victory, Pereira made it known in the post-fight interview that he believes a move up to heavyweight is on his list next to become the first-ever 3-division champion in the UFC’s history. Color commentator Joe Rogan also agreed with the sentiment, but according to the UFC boss, this might not be the right time for Pereira to chase that particular accolade.

Dana White brings up a concerning factor in Alex Pereira’s heavyweight ambitions

During his post-fight interview, Alex Pereira was asked about his plans for the heavyweight division as he’d indicated his interest in the same in the past. ‘Poatan’ responded by revealing that, “…I do think that’s in my future. ” His plans were also approved by Joe Rogan as Dana White later revealed that the color commentator had come up to him when he was in the cage preparing to put the championship belt on Pereira and asked him to, “‘Let him fight at heavyweight, come on! Just do it.’”

The UFC boss, however, believes that Pereira still has unfinished business in his weight class. “If he cleaned out a division and we were like there’s literally nobody left for this guy to fight and he’s 37, if he wants to move up to heavyweight with this but that’s not the case,” White stated during the post-match presentation. 

His comments refer to the fact that there still might be more matchups left for Pereira in the light-heavyweight division but he also brought up another interesting point as he highlighted the fact that ‘Poatan’ weighed in at 230 lbs when he stepped into the cage for the fight. Dana White reckoned, “…you said he was 230 today, right, Chuck (Lidell) 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 you know, 265, they’re cutting to 265, it’s just whole another level.”

While Pereira’s ambition to become a three-division champion is admirable, the UFC boss’s reservations highlighted the challenges ‘Poatan’ would face in making such a leap, emphasizing the physical and competitive differences in the heavyweight class. Nevertheless, there’s still a light-heavyweight who is looking to settle the score with Pereira soon! 

Jamahal Hill looking for revenge against ‘Poatan’ after Brazilian’s UFC 303 victory

Jamahal Hill was originally scheduled to take on Carlos Ulberg at UFC 303 but he had to pull out of the bout because of a knee injury which sidelined his return to the Octagon. Hill had last stepped inside the cage to face Alex Pereira at UFC 300 for the title he once held, but came up short as he was finished in the first round. In a recent YouTube video on his channel, Hill recounted a crucial moment just seconds before he was knocked out.

Pereira signaled to the referee, Herb Dean, about a potential groin strike. Dean moved forward to pause the fight, but Pereira quickly waved him off, saying he was fine. According to Hill, this moment allowed Pereira to close the gap and deliver the knockout punch. Now with Pereira having won his rematch against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, Hill stated on X, “I’ll sleep the next guy and then we go again!!! Great win but we are not done!!!”

In conclusion, Alex Pereira’s victory at UFC 303 has added another layer of intrigue to the light-heavyweight division with calls for a rematch from Jamahal Hill. It remains to be seen if the rematch materializes and if Hill can avenge his loss against ‘Poatan’. Do you think Alex Pereira should rematch Jamahal Hill next or focus on other challenges in the division? And what about Dana White’s concerns for his move up to heavyweight? Let us know in the comments below.