UFC veteran says Alex Pereira could end GOAT debate with one more win, questions his return to middleweight: "I like him going after Jon"
According to a seasoned mixed martial artist, Alex Pereira is seemingly one more victory within the UFC cage away from being the best fighter in MMA history. Jon Jones is the lineal heavyweight champion and Pereira has already claimed middleweight as well as light heavyweight gold in the promotion.
Tom Aspinall is also the interim UFC heavyweight champion which gives 'Poatan' a couple of actions in the eyes of Chael Sonnen. Via his Instagram account @sonnench, Sonnen posted a recent clip where he said:
"Alex Pereira shockingly called out [Dricus] du Plessis. Du Plessis has accepted at 205. For a guy that is very quiet and very stoic once he says one word [chama], sure finds a way to insert himself into things that are not his business. I really like the concept from Pereira. Pereira is one win away, it's gotta be at heavyweight, it's gotta be a guy with a belt."
"But he is one win away from ending the conversation on GOAT. I like him going after Tom [Aspinall], I like him going after Jon [Jones]. Even though that fight is not going to happen. Not in terms of Pereira cutting the weight and going down to '85. For du Plessis to accept that fight at '85, why? You've got [Sean] Strickland, you've got [Israel] Adesanya."
The former multi-time UFC middleweight title challenger stated that nobody is sweating more about this situation than dricus-du-plessis-praise-robert-whittaker-ufc-305-you-ain-t-ducking-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Sean Strickland. Sonnen went on to reference how the former opponents have been training together and that there may be some nerves associated with the Brazilian knockout artist dominating the news cycle about a 'DDP' fight when Strickland is campaigning for that rematch.
Check Chael Sonnen's analysis of what Alex Pereira's next move should be below:
Alex Pereira and his path to potentially claiming MMA GOAT status
Alex Pereira could make history if he embarks on the path that Chael Sonnen has outlined above. Pereira punched his ticket to 185-pound gold by knocking out the aforementioned Strickland at UFC 276 to then face his arch-rival from kickboxing.
The 37-year-old would halt Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 via strikes in the fifth and final round to cement himself as middleweight champion. While Pereira would drop the gold back to Adesanya in his first defense at UFC 287, the fearsome striker began making waves in a higher-weight division thereafter.
'Poatan' would knock out Jiri Prochazka to claim the vacant light heavyweight belt at UFC 295 after beating former 205-pound champion Jan Blachowicz on points at UFC 291.
The native of Sao Paulo state has a chance to become the first three-division champ the UFC has ever seen. That is if the two-time defending light heavyweight champion decides to fight either Jones or Aspinall should he notch his third title defense against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307.