It would appear that UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira’s middleweight tease last month was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Pereira’s first taste of title success on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came at 185 pounds, where he unseated Israel Adesanya in late 2022. Having fallen short in his first defense, “Poatan” bid farewell to the division and ventured up to 205 pounds.
Since then, the Brazilian has tasted nothing but success, capturing the light heavyweight gold in his sophomore outing in the division last year and recording two successful defenses at the expense of Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka this year.
Pereira’s next task will be dispatching the third challenger to his current reign, with the former Glory Kickboxing champion set to headline UFC 307 in Salt Lake City against Khalil Rountree early next month.
But defeating “The War Horse” isn’t the only thing on Pereira’s mind.
Prior to his next matchup being announced, “Poatan” teased a surprise return to middleweight, calling out champ Dricus Du Plessis in the immediate aftermath of his victory over Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia in August.
Despite having business to attend to at light heavyweight for the time being, Pereira recently took to social media to reiterate that he has one eye on the South African, whom he plans on pursuing regardless of the result inside Delta Center on October 5.
“I’m focused on my next fight and I’m going prepared but you never know what can happen, so regardless of the result I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt,” Pereira wrote. “Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me, with your public statement it is easy to make this happen, Chama 🔥”
Ankalaev Slams Pereira In Response To Fresh MW Ambitions: ‘You Are Weak!’
One man who was quick to take aim at Pereira for his callout of Du Plessis last month was Magomed Ankalaev, the current #2-ranked light heavyweight contender.
The Dagestani has been calling for his shot ever since the champ’s quick knockout of Hill at UFC 300. But after being passed up in favor of “BJP” this past July and the lower-ranked Rountree this fall, many have questioned the promotion’s apparent reluctance to grant Ankalaev a shot.
And although it appears that a victory over Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi late next month would make his claim undeniable, Pereira’s newfound ambitions of a second middleweight reign could present yet another hurdle.
That fact has unsurprisingly frustrated Ankalaev, who took to X shortly after Pereira’s post to brand him “weak” for continuing to avoid him.
“You are so weak @AlexPereiraUFC you only pick on the guys who are in lower division than you and you think you can beat them people are not stupid there is a reason why you are fighting Khalil and not me,” Ankalaev wrote.
For now, both Pereira and Ankalaev have opponents to deal with in October. Should the latter emerge victorious, calls for him to be placed opposite “Poatan” next time out will no doubt only increase.
