Alex Pereira sees a fight with Jon Jones as the ultimate win-win scenario for everyone involved.
Fresh off regaining the light heavyweight championship with a fast knockout of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320,
Pereira finds himself with a number of options, including staying in his division to defend his title against top contender Carlos Ulberg, or moving up to heavyweight for a superfight with Tom Aspinall or a returning Jones.
Jones has stated he intends to fight at next June’s UFC White House event despite announcing a retirement earlier this year, and has previously mentioned wanting to face Pereira. That’s one reason Pereira is optimistic the fight will happen if the matchmakers are serious about putting it together.
Right now, the timing seems perfect for Pereira to move up and pull off the unprecedented feet of winning a UFC championship in three divisions.
“I’ve always talked about this fight, about moving up to heavyweight, but then I said to myself, ‘Man, stay in your weight class,’” Pereira told Connect Cast (Portuguese translation via Home of Fight). “I wanted to stay in my weight class, I cared about my health, etc. But I’m 38 now, and at the same time, I’m thinking about my career. I think that’s the fight which needs to happen. Even Jon Jones was talking about this fight. That’s what he said in his interview the other day, right?”
Pereira has already put together an unreal list of combat sports achievements. After becoming a two-division champion in Glory Kickboxing, he repeated the feat in MMA, knocking out longtime rival Israel Adesanya to capture a middleweight title at UFC 281, and later winning a vacant light heavyweight title with a second-round knockout of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 291. Though he failed to defend a 185 pounds (losing an immediate rematch to Adesanya), he successfully defended his 205-pound belt three consecutive times in 2025 before seeing that streak stopped by Ankalaev in their first fight.
Becoming the first fighter to hand Jones a true defeat (in 30 pro bouts, Jones has only lost once by disqualification and seen a knockout win over Daniel Cormier overturned to a no-contest due to a positive drug test) would cement Pereira among the upper echelon of the all-time greats. Regardless, he thinks the matchup would be held in such high regard by fight fans that neither he nor Jones would have their legacies tarnished by a loss.
“I think the same way he does,” Pereira said. “We’re both big names. No matter what happens, nobody loses in this fight.”
TOP STORIES
Fight! Brendan Allen has added personal motivation to beat Reinier de Ridder this Saturday at UFC Vancouver.
Trilogy? Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman meet again, this time in the boxing ring.
Ailment. Alex Pereira claims he was even more physically compromised than Magomed Ankalaev heading into their rematch.
Forever. Ronda Rousey doesn’t think “anyone’s ever really done” with fighting.
Boo. The Ali Revival Act provisions move one step closer to becoming reality.
VIDEO STEW
Between the Links.
MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin talks to Brendan Allen ahead of his short-notice main event fight at UFC Vancouver.
Alexander Volkanovski rolls with Craig Jones.
UFC Vancouver ceremonial weigh-in.
FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
We didn’t want it that badly, Chris.
Chainsaw Max.
Caio?
We all need a Glover in our lives.
History.
Is this AI?
FINAL THOUGHTS
I should be more hyped for the prospect of Alex Pereira vs. Jon Jones, but it’s not hitting me for some reason? Maybe I’m a Carlos Ulberg truther. Maybe I don’t want to wait until June for Pereira to fight again. Maybe I just want Jones to go away and mean it this time.
EXIT POLL
If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.
