As Jon Jones moves up, Alex Pereira suggests only change in P4P list that would make him "already happy"
Alex Pereira shared his thoughts on Jon Jones moving up in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. Jones secured his first heavyweight title defense with a third-round KO of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on Nov. 16. Following the win, Jones climbed one spot and replaced Pereira as the pound-for-pound No.2-ranked UFC fighter.
Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev currently holds the top rank in the list. Pereira shared the screenshot of the rankings update on his Instagram story and opined that Jones should be a pound-for-pound No.1 fighter.
He wrote in the caption:
"With this change, I would be already happy."
Jones and Pereira are two of the biggest pay-per-view stars in the UFC today. Both men have created lasting legacies in combat sports. They currently hold UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight titles, respectively. Talks of a potential super fight between the two have been picking up steam in recent months.
The pair have expressed the desire to compete against each other. Heading into the UFC 309 title fight, 'Bones' said he would prefer a veteran like Pereira as his next opponent instead of interim champion Tom Aspinall. He also showed willingness to relinquish the heavyweight title to compete against the Brazilian.
Dana White is not ecstatic about a potential Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira clash
Jon Jones' pre-fight comments led the MMA community to believe that he might retire from competition after defeating Stipe Miocic in the legacy-defining heavyweight clash. Despite the speculation, Jones affirmed that he would continue to fight.
While interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira have been pitched as his likely next opponents, UFC CEO Dana White struck down the possibility of the super fight. Speaking at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference, White said:
"You know what [Jones' performance tonight] told me, there's no f***ing way I make the Pereira fight. Jon's too big, great wrestler... I like Alex Pereira, I like him personally. It just doesn't make sense to make that fight. If they both want it bad enough, and they're both f**king hounding me or something, maybe I would do it."
Check out Dana White's comments below: