Aspinall? Ankalaev? Alex Pereira discusses options for next move after UFC 300
Alex Pereira is hungry for fights and breaking records, but has no rush to call out a name, date, or location for his next match inside the UFC octagon.
“Poatan” recently made short work of Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300, defending his light heavyweight title with the second-fastest victory of his MMA career. Afterward, he discussed his options in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast.
“It’s hard to answer that. I haven’t thought too much about it yet,” Pereira said when asked if he’d rather defend his belt next or test the waters at heavyweight. “If it’s a longer period of time, I’d obviously rather defend my belt. If it takes too long and I fight at heavyweight and there are injuries, when am I going to defend my belt? I don’t want to hold up the division.
“I was imagining the best-case scenario [when I called for a heavyweight fight at UFC 301], but I have two broken toes. Both feet are f*****. It’s complicated. I don’t want to hold up the light heavyweight division. A cool scenario would have been fighting at heavyweight [at UFC 301] and then giving the opportunity to someone to fight for the light heavyweight belt next. I think that would have been cool.”
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall posted a picture of him watching Pereira enter the octagon at UFC 300, and recently announced that he’s defending his belt at the upcoming UFC show in Manchester. Neither a date nor opponent have been revealed for Aspinall’s next bout, but Pereira gave the heavyweight talent credit, acknowledging that it was smart to post the picture for social media engagement.
As for challenging Aspinall for a third belt in Manchester, “Poatan” said it’s up to UFC to make the call.
“I have to see what’s best for me, but I’m not alone. I have my managers with me,” Pereira said. “I’m here. I’m like a gamecock — you put another rooster in front of me and I’m there to fight, and we will fight, you know? But we have to see what’s best for me, my career, and my team. I’m open to fighting whoever, but I’m not the one who decides.”
Pereira sees Magomed Ankalaev as one of the most viable options for his second light heavyweight title defense after the Russian’s knockout of Johnny Walker, but isn’t very interested in obliging Ankalaev’s call to meet on the October pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi.
Pereira expects to be medically cleared to train in early May after fracturing a toe two weeks before UFC 300, and then fracturing another toe during his victory over Hill.
“I don’t want to fight at the end of the year,” Pereira said. “I want to fight sooner, so maybe that shows he won’t be ready. I don’t know why he said that.”
“This guy is complicated,” he added, when asked about Ankalaev trying to call the shots. “Honestly, I have to see what’s best. I’m here to fight, but I don’t understand best about other things like where is best [to fight] and where isn’t. If I have to fight there, I will, but if it’s not a date I want, then it’s not best for me. I can say no’”
If UFC, for some reason, does want to wait that long before booking his next assignment, Pereira would much rather compete in November and once again be featured on the promotion’s Madison Square Garden pay-per-view.
“It makes total sense,” said Pereira, who lives and trains in nearby Danbury, CT, and is 2-0 with two title-winning knockouts in pay-per-view headliners at Madison Square Garden. “Wait one more month and I’m fighting at home? It’s so much better.”