Alex Pereira has been focused on one goal from the moment he reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight title.
The Brazilian star had big plans in mind before he lost his belt earlier this year and was forced to change direction.
However, since avenging his loss to Magomed Ankalaev, Pereira has made it clear that Jon Jones is the opponent that he wants to face next inside the Octagon.
‘Poatan’ has also only had one destination in mind for this super fight, with the injury he suffered last time out confirming to Pereira that he’d wait for the UFC’s event at the White House before coming back.
A recent post from the champion has seemingly revealed that this is no longer his plan.
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Who should Alex Pereira fight next?
Should he defend the light-heavyweight title, or do you want to see him make an historic move up to heavyweight?
Alex Pereira claims that fighting at the White House is a “no go”
Alex Pereira recently spoke about his plans for 2026, revealing that the two fights he’s spoken about are the matchup with Jon Jones or a heavyweight title fight.
Of course, the main issue with either fight is that there are contenders in the light heavyweight division who deserve to fight for the title.
The likes of Carlos Ulberg would make a lot of sense as Pereira’s next title challenger, even if this wouldn’t be the kind of legacy-defining bout that the champion is pursuing.
A recent social media post from ‘Poatan’ suggests that he’s had conversations with the UFC which have led to a stunning change in direction.
After consistently speaking about wanting to compete at the White House in June, Pereira wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of him and Dana White, “Looks like the White House is a no go!!!”
It isn’t clear what this means for his desired move up a weight class or whether he’ll be defending his title anytime soon, but considering how much he’s been speaking about this, it’s fair to assume that this is a big blow for the champion if it’s true.
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Alex Pereira’s move to heavyweight received pushback
It would seem likely that if Alex Pereira was going to fight Jon Jones, or challenge for the heavyweight title, which seems unlikely, the UFC would have him wait for next June.
Therefore, if ‘Poatan’ is no longer in the promotion’s plans for the White House event, it would be fair to assume that he’s going to be defending his light heavyweight title at some point in the near future instead.
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes recently stated that he believes Pereira moving up would “screw up the division” and that he’d “rather that didn’t happen”.
Blaydes told Home of Fight that he thinks a champion should have to clear out their division before moving up, which is something a lot of fans have also argued.
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