Despite the next defense of his 205lb title coming up in just a few days’ time in Salt Lake City, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is already looking ahead to what the future could hold.
Specifically, the ruthless Brazilian superstar wants to play a main role in Dana White’s recently announced foray into the world of boxing promotion; and he’s even releasing footage of him sparring Brazil’s best heavyweight as proof that he could compete with the best.
Alex Pereira wants Dana White’s boxing partnership to ‘start with him’
Last week, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that he has a “plan” to make his long-awaited move into the world of professional boxing promotion and that he’ll enter the sport with all “guns blazing.”
“I’m going to implement that plan, and we’ll see how that works,” he told reporters, explaining how “People have been talking about the demise of boxing for 30 years and we’re still here talking about boxing right now.
“I have always had an idea of how I thought it should be done – I don’t know if that’s possible, but we’re going to find out, I’m coming in guns blazing.”
When asked about White’s big money move into the realm of professional boxing, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira told Kevin Iole “Honestly man, I feel very good about this [partnership].
“I like boxing, I’ve wanted to fight boxing and I’ve been saying this for a while. In the next few days, I’m going to release video footage of me sparring the best heavyweight boxer in Brazil, it was a few years ago but I believe I am much better now.”
That footage was presently shared online, showing Pereira sparring heavyweight boxer Igor Adiel Macedo for four hard rounds – see below.
Whilst Pereira admitted that he hadn’t been in contact with the UFC or Dana White regarding his own sporting transition, he did state via his translator how he “feels like this [boxing] partnership is going to start with him.”
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Should Pereira choose to end his MMA career with a move to boxing, there’ll likely be immediate calls for him to fight one of the sports’ superstar champions such as Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, or Daniel Dubois.
Luckily, Pereira confirmed to Helen Yee only a few hours later that should he lace up the bigger gloves: “In boxing, I will fight with the champion.”
Poatan has actually already competed in the squared-circle, having fought for a regional promotion in Brazil back in 2017 – he won that bout via a third-round TKO.
“Absolutely I want to express my will to go boxing one day [and] I think that this partnership of the UFC and boxing is a very good thing going for the sport,” Pereira told The Schmo.
“Many boxers say that MMA fighters cannot go toe-to-toe with boxing. Alex believes that not only him but many other [MMA] fighters could do that too… And definitely he will love to go boxing if Dana White goes.
“Just give me the opportunity to fight and show my potential.”
Alex Pereira returns to the octagon next weekend in the main event of UFC 307 against veteran Khalil Rountree Jr.