Alex Pereira moving up to light heavyweight instead of Israel Adesanya rematch
Former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira recently revealed his plans to move up a weight class and fight in the light heavyweight division. The Brazilian believes he's done his part in the middleweight division and sees this as the perfect time to compete at 205 pounds.
Pereira recently lost the middleweight title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287, getting knocked out by the Nigerian-born Kiwi in the second round. This was their fourth combat sports meeting, with 'Poatan' holding three previous victories.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, 'Poatan' officially announced his future plans. Pereira explained his decision to move to the 205-pound weight class and said:
"My next fight will be at 205 [pounds]. Yeah, you heard right. I think I did my work and now I'm feeling good to go up to 205... This division 185, I always made weight... But now it's the moment for me to go to the next division."
While Alex Pereira couldn't name his next opponent yet, he warned his bitter rival Israel Adesanya. 'Poatan' reminded the Nigerian-born Kiwi of his ability to make 185 pounds at any time and discouraged Adesanya from any attempt at provoking him. He stated:
"All of you saw the provocation from Adesanya after the fight... Let’s see how he behaves… I will always be able to make 185... I’m sure if I insist to fight him again immediately, the UFC and my promoters will make it happen."
Watch the full video below:
Jamahal Hill predicts "dominant victory" over Alex Pereira at 205lbs
After Dana White hinted at Alex Pereira moving up to 205 pounds in the post-event scrum after UFC 287, 'Poatan' recently confirmed the same in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel.
'Poatan's' massive size and stature have been a topic of discussion among the MMA community. Several prominent UFC personalities have expressed their surprise at Pereira's ability to cut down to middleweight.
: UFC"Did you see the size of the fella? Who let this guy in?!" 😅
@robwhittakermma relfects on Alex Pereira's performance at #UFC281 and is confident he'd get the job done against the champ 🏆
📹: UFC https://t.co/Icscs0hD7d
However, with the Brazilian now confirming his plans to compete in a weight class that is more comfortable for him, speculation as to who his next opponent could be has begun.
While Pereira hasn't had a matchup announced yet, light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill recently expressed his eagerness to welcome the former middleweight champion to the 205-pound division.
In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, Hill was asked about potentially facing a "scary striker" like Alex Pereira next, to which he replied:
"I'm here for everybody... Dominant victory for me. Dominant. I’m going to dominate him.”
Watch the full video below: