Nina-Marie Daniele plays matchmaker for Alex Pereira: "Best striker vs best grappler"

MMA content creator Nina-Marie Daniele recently played matchmaker for UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira's next assignment.

Periera holds victories over three leading fighters in the UFC 205-pound rankings. Most recently, he put an end to his rivalry with Jiri Prochazka with a second-round TKO victory at UFC 303.

Following the win, some fans, including UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, are lobbying for the Brazilian to challenge for the heavyweight throne and seek the unchartered three-division champion status. Meanwhile, there's a segment of the MMA community that contends that Pereira will meet his true test against No.2-ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev.

The EA Sports UFC game handle on Instagram recently posted an option-based question on who Pereira should face next.

Marie Daniele commented on the post, claiming that 'Poatan' should take on Ankalaev next. She wrote:

"ANKALAEV NEXT! LFG Best striker vs best grappler!"

Check out Nina-Marie Daniele's comment below:

Nina Marie-Daniele weighs in on Alex Pereira's next fight [Images courtesy: @easportsufc on Instagram]

Following the victory over Prochazka, Pereira claimed that the prospect of moving up to challenge for the heavyweight throne is an option for the future. UFC CEO Dana White, while not denouncing the idea completely, asserted that he would like to see Pereira wipe out the light heavyweight division before he makes the jump.

He also claimed that moving up to heavyweight is a whole new landscape considering that those fighters walk around usually heavier than the Brazilian.

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Alex Pereira reportedly received a handsome bonus for his UFC 303 fight against Jiri Prochazka

UFC 303 couldn't have gone better for Alex Pereira. The Brazilian stepped in on short notice alongside Jiri Prochazka to take over the main event slot after Conor McGregor was forced to pull out of his fight against Michael Chandler.

As has become the established pattern in the UFC, the organization incentivizes risk-takers, and Pereira's efforts at UFC 303 were handsomely rewarded. The 36-year-old's coach Plinio Cruz outlined the details of the bonus in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, stating:

"Dana said, ‘As a matter of fact, you won Performance of the Night.’ And he said, ‘$303,000?’ He goes, ‘No, no, no, $50,000… Dana looked at him and said, ‘You know what, man? I’m going to take care of you. You’ve got the $303,000."

Catch Cruz's comments below (25:00):

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