5 things Alex Pereira can do to become the UFC's GOAT
This weekend saw Alex Pereira defend his light heavyweight title successfully for the third time in 2024. It was a monumental victory for a fighter who has already won UFC titles in two different weight classes.
Putting together his accomplishments in the UFC and in kickboxing, Alex Pereira is already a great - but can he become the UFC's GOAT in the future? It might be tricky, but based on what we have seen so far, if anyone can do it, it's 'Poatan'.
Here, then, are five things Alex Pereira can do to become the UFC's GOAT.
#5. Alex Pereira needs to avoid any kind of PED scandal
This seems relatively obvious on the surface of things, but it's something that a number of other UFC greats have failed to do.
Put simply, if he wants to be recognized as the UFC's GOAT, then Alex Pereira cannot afford to fail a drug test during his career with the promotion.
Thankfully, thus far at least, there's been no suggestion at all that 'Poatan' has ever used performance-enhancing drugs. Recent reports suggest that he's been tested by the promotion's anti-doping team on 22 occasions with no positive tests, which is clearly a good start.
However, both Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, who are considered amongst the greatest fighters of all time, were embroiled in PED scandals during their careers.
If Pereira can ensure that he remains clean, then, something that the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson managed, then it'll definitely give him points in the GOAT conversation.
Right now, there's no reason to doubt 'Poatan', and long may that continue.
#4. Alex Pereira needs to beat a stylistically difficult opponent
While Alex Pereira's record in the UFC has thus far been exemplary, there is one minor criticism that could definitely be levied at the Brazilian.
'Poatan' is currently 9-1 in the octagon and has beaten a total of five former champions during that run. However, it is notable that basically every opponent he's faced, from Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland to Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill, have been fellow strikers.
Therefore, a critic could easily claim that Pereira has never faced - let alone beaten - a fighter who would be considered a stylistically difficult fight for him. Put simply, we still don't know a lot about how 'Poatan' would react against a fighter looking to take him down, rather than stand with him. His wrestling and submission games are huge question marks.
Beating stylistically difficult opponents, of course, was something that other GOAT contenders like Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva often did, even making it look simple at times.
'GSP', for instance, had no issue dealing with supposedly superior wrestlers like Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, while Silva dispatched a nightmare foe in Chael Sonnen on two occasions.
Theoretically at least, 'Poatan' could have a chance to beat a stylistically tricky opponent if he faces Magomed Ankalaev next. The Dagestani is an excellent wrestler and he's widely viewed as next in line, assuming he beats Aleksandar Rakic later this month.
Beat Ankalaev by stuffing his takedowns - or even surprising him with a submission, as Silva famously did to Sonnen - and nobody could question Pereira's abilities against a grappler again.
#3. Alex Pereira needs to take out Israel Adesanya one last time
Alex Pereira's greatest rival - both inside and outside the octagon - is definitely former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
At this point, everyone knows the story of their feud. Pereira beat 'The Last Stylebender' twice in the kickboxing ring, once by decision and once by knockout en route to cementing himself as a great of the sport.
Adesanya then departed for the UFC and saw incredible success, claiming the middleweight title less than two years after his debut.
'Poatan' followed Adesanya to the UFC nearly four years later, and after winning three fights, managed to take out his old rival again, taking away his title in the process.
However, Adesanya finally slayed his dragon by knocking out Pereira in 2023 to reclaim his crown, and since then, 'Poatan' has moved up to 205 pounds.
Right now, the idea of a third Pereira vs. Adesanya fight in the octagon feels like a pipe dream. The Brazilian is positioned as the top light heavyweight in the world, while Adesanya has lost his last two fights and is at a crossroads of sorts.
Despite this, to become the UFC's GOAT, Pereira probably needs to beat his old rival one last time.
Whether that's at 205 pounds or 185 pounds really shouldn't matter. The fact is that right now, even though Pereira is 3-1 up in the rivalry overall, the last image of the two is of Adesanya standing over an unconscious 'Poatan'.
Therefore, if he wants that GOAT mantle, then Pereira needs to wipe that image away and get one over on 'The Last Stylebender' again. Maybe it won't come in the very near future, but it's a hurdle he ought to look to clear before he steps away, at least.
#2. Alex Pereira needs to know when to walk away
In the world of the UFC, time waits for no man, and often, fighters who were once considered great hang around for far too long and end up damaging their legacies.
Both Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn, for instance, kept on fighting for far too long past their primes.
Both men ended up hanging up their gloves on the back of horrible losing streaks, and while Silva's reputation remains intact for the most part, he's widely considered behind the likes of Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre in the GOAT stakes these days. Penn, meanwhile, is no longer even in the conversation.
On the flip side of this, both St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov got out of the game at the best possible time. Sure, it's arguable that Khabib hung up his gloves too early, but there was never a danger of his legacy being harmed.
So what of Alex Pereira? Right now, 'Poatan' appears to be at his peak, but in fact, he's probably older than many fans believe. He's already 37 and has been fighting in some form professionally for over a decade now.
The Brazilian would be best to make a plan now and stick to it, then. Whether that plan involves one more title defense at 205 pounds before a push for the heavyweight title, or attempting to avenge his loss to Israel Adesanya doesn't really matter.
At the end of the day, if Pereira wants to go down as the UFC's undisputed GOAT - or at least put himself in the conversation - he's got to get out of the game at just the right time.
#1. Alex Pereira should try to claim the UFC heavyweight title
If Alex Pereira wants to be known as the UFC's all-time GOAT, then there's something he could do to absolutely guarantee that beyond any doubt. He needs to win the UFC heavyweight title.
The UFC has had a total of nine two-division champions, and of course, Pereira is one of them. Most of the others - the likes of Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Amanda Nunes - dominate the conversation around the UFC's GOAT.
However, to date, no fighter has been able to win titles in three different weight classes. In fact, nobody has even come close to achieving this.
'Poatan', though, may be running out of potential challengers at 205 pounds, leaving him to look for a bigger challenge.
Could he really compete as a heavyweight? In all honesty, there's no reason why not. He's a huge 205-pounder, bringing into question how he ever made 185 pounds, and wouldn't be giving up too much size to the likes of Jones and Tom Aspinall.
More importantly, his striking appears to be unmatched in the entire UFC right now, with his power and technique seemingly too much for any opponent to handle.
If Pereira could challenge for - and manage to win - the heavyweight title, it'd be hard not to consider him the greatest fighter of all time, point blank.