UFC veteran praises Alex Pereira, warns that Tom Aspinall could be in for tough fight: “There’s something special about Alex”
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has warned Tom Aspinall that a potential bout against Alex Pereira could spell danger.
'Poatan' recently defended the light heavyweight title for the third time in 2024 when he faced Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 last weekend. After a shaky start by the Brazilian, he soon found his footing, violently finishing the American with striking combination in the fourth round.
Following Pereira's victory, fans and the MMA media have already started booking his potential next fight, with Tom Aspinall appearing to lead the list.
Pereira has previously expressed an interest in stepping up to heavyweight, and Aspinall's future currently remains up in the air as Jon Jones prepares to face Stipe Miocic next month.
While the prospect of Pereira and Aspinall throwing down in the octagon might appeal to the majority, there is a section of fans who believe it would be one way traffic for the interim heavyweight champ. The general consensus is that Aspinall's size, speed, power and wrestling would cause major problems for Alex Pereira.
One person who isn't so sure, however, is Chael Sonnen. Discussing the potential fight on his YouTube channel, 'The American Gangster' stated there is something "special" about the Brazilian. He said:
"I cannot guarantee you that the younger, bigger guy in Tom would win. There's something special about Alex and I can't quite put my finger on it. But I don't know that Tom has the skills to just go out and take him down, so we might have to take that off of the board...Tom's probably gonna wanna trade, have a little bit of ego like everyone else...but it just might be a dangerous proposition."
Catch Sonnen's comments here:
Jake Paul believes he has a "1,000 percent" chance of beating Alex Pereira in boxing
Jake Paul recently made the bold claim he believes he would have no issue defeating Alex Pereira in a boxing match.
Following 'Poatan's' successful title defense at UFC 307, Jake Paul took part in an interview with Kick streamer Adin Ross. The pair discussed the fight, with 'The Problem Child' stating he believes Khalil Rountree Jr. exposed massive holes in Pereira's game.
The former Disney channel star also took it a step further, adding that should he ever face Pereira in boxing, it would be an easy victory for him. He said:
"1,000 percent I would beat him [Pereira]. That's the thing is Rountree Jr. actually kind of exposed that he doesn't have a high volume output, he doesn't like body shots, and in MMA, Pereira would rip my head off but boxing is a completely different sport and the pace of it and the style of it.''
Catch Paul's comments here (11:07):