Tom Aspinall Rivalry to Backfire on Alex Pereira as ‘Real Danger’ in HW Move Exposed by UFC Hall of Famer

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira‘s dream run in the UFC continues. ‘Poatan’, who managed to become a two-division champion in only eleven fights in the UFC, knocked out former champion Jamahal Hill with ease in the first round of their UFC 300 main event clash on Saturday.

However the Brazilian is not done and is aiming to make history. After his spectacular UFC 300 victory, the former middleweight champion announced his intent to move up to heavyweight for his next fight. However, Michael Bisping thinks that would not be a good idea.

Bisping warns Alex Pereira of danger Tom Aspinall poses

After Alex Pereira called on the UFC to book him for a heavyweight bout next month in his native Brazil, UFC CEO Dana White felt it would not be a good idea for ‘Poatan’ given the tough opposition he would face at heavyweight.

Former UFC champion and commentator, Michael Bisping, speaking about Pereira’s intentions to move up to 270, agreed with White. The Englishman warned Pereira of the significant danger that interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall posed to him in all departments.

“On the feet against Tom it would be very interesting. Tom has got knockout power, of course knocked out the knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich, made short work of him. [In] 69 seconds put him to sleep, so he’s dangerous on the feet but the real danger against Tom Aspinall is in the grappling. Tom has a ridiculously high fight IQ and ridiculously high skills, okay? He can get the job done everywhere: on the ground, on the feet, in the clinch, in the wrestling department, in the Jiu-Jitsu match, in a good old fashion brawl,” he said in a YouTube video.

While he felt Aspinall could stand and trade with Pereira, Bisping was of the opinion that the interim champion would do the intelligent thing and take Pereira down, where he would be terribly outmatched. “Tom Aspinall’s smart though, and he’s not going to stand there and play that game with Alex Pereira so right now I don’t think the thing to do for Alex Pereira is to fight Tom Aspinall,” he added.

The commentator concluded by opining that he didn’t think Pereira should move up to heavyweight since a loss may dent his legacy and popularity, both of which are at their peak given his recent performance. But, it is not surprising to see Bisping feel like Aspinall will beat Pereira, given how highly he rates the English heavyweight.

Bisping thinks Aspinall will be “greatest heavyweight ever”

Tom Aspinall faced Sergei Pavlovich in an interim heavyweight title bout at UFC 295 last year. The Russian, coming into the bout with seven consecutive first-round knockouts, is considered the most dangerous striker in the division and was expected to give Aspinall a tough challenge. However, Aspinall utterly dominated Pavlovich and managed to knock him out in the first round without breaking a sweat.

This result came as a shock to many. But not to Michael Bisping, who had predicted a first round victory for Aspinall and asserted that the interim champion will go down as “the greatest heavyweight champion” in UFC history when all is said and done.

“I think he beats him. I think he beats Jon Jones if that comes up, and I think he dominates the heavyweight division for quite some time, and he will retire as the greatest heavyweight champion that the UFC has ever seen. I’m serious,” Bisping declared. And if Aspinall and Pereira fight, and the Englishman manages to defeat the Brazilian, it would certainly go down as a fantastic win and give him a legacy-defining win. Do you think Pereira should face Tom Aspinall next?