- Alex Pereira addressed Jon Jones’ call for a heavyweight showdown
- “Poatan” thinks “Bones” would be the biggest fight of his MMA career
Alex Pereira thinks a fight with Jon Jones would be the biggest fight of his career but he’s still waiting for the UFC’s decision.
Alex is just waiting
Speaking to ESPN MMA, “Poatan” calmly admitted that he thought the UFC is not in favor of his move to the heavyweight division and they already shifted their focus on other things. However, with Jones now calling him out, Pereira wants to see how the UFC would respond, considering “Bones” appears to be more interested in him than Tom Aspinall.
“I was a bit surprised because I had asked to fight at heavyweight, I didn’t get much feedback, we ended changing out plans. But now that Jon Jones wrote that stuff, we have to see what the organization’s gonna say,” Pereira said of Jones’ callout.
Who would you guys want to see me fight the most, Alex or Tom?
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 2, 2024
You actually think me fighting Tom would be more massive than Alex and I colliding? Tom only matters in the UK, newsflash. Pereira is one of the most polarizing figures this sport has seen. Toms a contender who won a belt against another contender. We had to save Madison Square… https://t.co/JatZed5UUO
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 3, 2024
If Alex P became champion of the heavyweight division, would you guys consider him the GOAT? Being back in the gym has got me thinking differently. That fight after stipe maybe the next biggest move I could possibly make. This killer has already defeated so many champions, and…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 3, 2024
It would be absolutely massive. A guy with a chance to be three division champion and a goat versus the actual goat. Same age, different strengths. No one can argue that that would be the biggest fight in MMA history. There’s absolutely no fight that generates a payday like that.… https://t.co/B4LGC209sV
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 3, 2024
No rivalry needed
When asked if a bout with Jones would be the biggest fight of his MMA career with his rivalry with Israel Adesanya evidently topping that list so far, Pereira said he doesn’t see any rivalry brewing between him and Jones. However, he admits that it would be the biggest fight of his career as an MMA fighter.
“I don’t think there’s any rivalry. I think it would be the biggest fight in my career, it’d be at heavyweight, it would be amazing but I don’t see any rivalry there,” Pereira explained.
What’s next for Alex
With the move to heavyweight still unclear, Pereira said it is very likely that he and Jiri Prochazka would run it back in his return.
“For me, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is, but the way it looks, it looks like it would be him [Prochazka],” he concluded.
Pereira is coming off a stunning KO win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. With Jones willing to prioritize “Poatan” at this point, it would be interesting to see how the UFC would act on the potential massive showdown.
