Alex Pereira recently reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight title and quickly made his ambition known. He wanted a showdown with Jon Jones on the highly anticipated UFC White House card scheduled for next summer. Jones welcomed the idea just as openly, expressing interest in returning for such a moment.
Despite enthusiasm from both fighters, the final decision does not rest with them. UFC leadership has shown little urgency in pursuing the bout, and that hesitation became more noticeable when Pereira publicly suggested he may not compete at the event.
Daniel Cormier reacts to Pereira’s statement
The uncertainty surrounding Pereira’s status did not sit well with former champion and longtime UFC commentator Daniel Cormier. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier explained why the news was discouraging.
“I truly believe that the most discouraging news would be Alex Pereira saying that he’s not going to fight at the White House,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Pereira, obviously, is one of the biggest stars in the UFC, but also, when he fights, in most cases, you know that there’s going to be fireworks, most likely, or possibly a finish.
“What’s most discouraging about the whole situation — outside of the finishing facts, the star ability, all of that — is that if he was to fight, the fight that he offered up for the White House was a fight against Jon Jones. To which Jon Jones replied, ‘I would love to do that. Please let me on the White House. I’m back in the testing pool. I want to fight Alex Pereira.’ So, now, you immediately have the American star in Jones, vs. the big star in Pereira. …
“Him saying that he’s not on the card, I wonder if someone told him that that’s not what they’re doing. Because I don’t know why else he would make it public. Jon Jones feels that if Pereira’s not fighting, he’s not fighting. Because I think that they know they both need each other to place themselves on that White House card, which is going to be an amazing event.”
Questions about the scale of the event
Details about the UFC White House show remain limited beyond its planned date of June 14 and its location on the South Lawn. With uncertainty around the sport’s biggest stars, Cormier questioned how large the promotion intends to make the card.
“If Pereira is not on, if Jones is not on, how big is the UFC willing to make this card to ensure that it’s as big as anything we’ve ever seen inside the octagon?” Cormier said. “How many title fights is the UFC willing to put on to assure us that this will be the greatest fight card that we’ve ever seen?
“I remember UFC 300; you had the ‘BMF’ title, and then you had two title fights. You also had a card that was littered with champions. Does the White House card warrant a fight card of that nature, where you get former champions as the first fight of the night on the prelims? …
“I believe that this card is going to be amazing. I think they’re going to do everything they can to make it huge. I don’t very often disagree with how things work at the UFC. I believe that doing Jones vs. Pereira, that’s low-hanging fruit. You’ve already got two guys that say, ‘We want to do that.’ Put them out there!”
The weight class debate
If the UFC does move forward with Jones versus Pereira, Cormier believes the fight should happen at light heavyweight rather than heavyweight. Although Jones retired earlier this year as the heavyweight champion, he reversed course after learning about the White House event.
Cormier explained why a return to 205 pounds would benefit both fighters and the overall quality of the matchup.
“I think Jones should fight Pereira at 205,” Cormier said. “That would be even better. I think Jones is good. He’s a good fighter. Jon Jones the heavyweight isn’t Jon Jones the light heavyweight. … I believe that the weight management, and cutting weight, and training really hard, makes him have to be more focused in his life than when he’s fighting at heavyweight. There’s way more leniency. He’s not a 265-pound guy, so he doesn’t have to be as locked in. He was never as good as when he’s fighting at 205. …
“I think that is where him and Pereira should fight, because I believe that if Pereira fights him at heavyweight, Pereira’s a little too small, and at heavyweight, Jon Jones just isn’t as good as he is at 205. You want the best product? You put those guys at 205.” via MMAFighting
For Cormier, the solution remains simple. The fighters are willing, the setting is historic, and the audience interest is already there. Whether the UFC chooses to capitalize on that opportunity will determine just how memorable the White House event becomes.
