Mild heavyweight champion Alex Pereira arrived within the UFC in November 2021. In his fourth battle, the Brazilian was preventing former kickboxing foe Israel Adesanya for the 185-pound championship. He stopped Adesanya late within the ultimate spherical to seize the title.
Adesanya received revenge within the rematch and Pereira set his sights on the 205-pound weight class. In his seventh octagon look, Pereira received the sunshine heavyweight title by stopping former champion Jiri Prochazka within the second spherical at UFC 295. At UFC 300 on Saturday, Pereira knocked out former titleholder Jamahal Hill within the first spherical. After the win, Pereira indicated that he’d like to maneuver as much as the heavyweight division for at the very least one battle. It will be the third weight class he is fought in since his UFC arrival.
“I need to proceed defending this belt. I talked lots about preventing in Brazil if I received this battle. I am not harm. Nothing occurred. I do know there must be numerous promotion behind a battle however I need to have a battle at heavyweight,” Pereira mentioned following his UFC 300 knockout win.
UFC CEO Dana White was not offered on Pereira’s need to compete within the heavyweight division. He did not fully shut the concept down, however made it clear that he believes Pereira ought to keep within the mild heavyweight division.
“When you consider him shifting as much as heavyweight, you have received [Jon] Jones. You have received [Tom] Aspinall. The listing goes on and in in that heavyweight division,” White mentioned through the UFC 300 Submit-Struggle Press Convention.
“The heavyweight division is nasty. I do not know if that is the correct transfer for him,” White continued. “He seemed rattling good within the division he is in. I feel you may need to stick round there for a minute. However I do not know. These are all issues we’ll speak about for the subsequent 15 Tuesdays, so we’ll get it cast out.”
