- Dana White wants Alex Pereira to prove himself worthy of a title shot at light heavyweight first by taking on an elite 205-pounder
- The UFC boss revealed that the plan is to still give “Poatan” a chance to compete for the title despite failing to defend his middleweight title
Now former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira is now moving up to the light heavyweight division. And while some are already talking about a potential showdown with 205-pound king Jamahal Hill, UFC president Dana White is not sold on the idea and wants “Poatan” to prove himself first.
First thing is first
Speaking to reporters in his UFC Kansas City press conference, White addressed Pereira’s situation and confirmed that the plan is to position the Brazilian in the light heavyweight title fight contention but first, he must beat a “real” contender in the division.
“You put him in title contention and then he has to beat someone to even be considered in title contention. He’s got to move to 205 and beat a real guy, so that’s what we’re looking at right now, getting a real guy,” the UFC boss said of Pereira.
The champ is ready
Who will the UFC picks to match Pereira with in his light heavyweight debut is still up in the air. Regardless of how the cookie crumbles for “Poatan,” reigning light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill already let the Brazilian know that he is down to fight at any given time.
As it stands, former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has been calling out Hill as he hopes to reclaim his title. However, nothing is concrete yet at this point. As for Pereira, it is expected that some top 205-pounders will soon be linked to his name.
Pereira rose to prominence after he dethroned his longtime rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 281. He earned the title shot after an impressive three-fight winning streak under the UFC banner. His decision to move up to 205 was finalized after he suffered a devastating KO loss to Izzy in their epic rematch at UFC 287.
