Alex Pereira’s latest victorious performance didn’t do enough to convince oddsmakers that he could be competitive against the UFC’s interim heavyweight king.
Pereira boosted his claim for 2024’s Fighter of the Year by recording a third successful title defense in quick succession at Saturday’s UFC 307 pay-per-view in Utah.
Having turned away threats to his reign from Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka, Salt Lake City’s Delta Center played host to Pereira’s return, as he was tasked with stalling the title ambitions of Khalil Rountree.
Despite being down two rounds early on, “Poatan” ultimately achieved that feat by rallying to brutally stop “The War Horse” in round four.
While celebrations in the Brazilian’s camp will be ongoing, talk has unsurprisingly turned to what could lie next in his future.
Aspinall vs. Pereira Odds Have ‘Poatan’ At +300
There appears to be three options for Pereira: a continued stay at 205 pounds to defend his belt, a return to middleweight in pursuit of regaining the 185-pound title, or an attempt at history up at heavyweight.
When it comes to the last of those options — which doesn’t seem to be on the table judging by Pereira’s post-fight remarks — oddsmakers are evidently not fancying the light heavyweight champ’s chances.
Future odds posted by BetOnline.ag have Pereira as a significant +300 underdog in a possible bout with Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall has held the interim gold since last November. He’s been unable to unify the title owing to Jon Jones’ reluctance to fight him, with “Bones” and the UFC instead favoring a rescheduled showdown with Stipe Miocic next month.
In the meantime, the Brit has successfully defended his strap against Curtis Blaydes this past summer. Should Jones retain his place on the throne and subsequently retire this year, Aspinall could find himself promoted to undisputed status.
