Alex Pereira might be the biggest current star in the UFC, but he will bite off more than he can chew if he goes ahead and moves up to heavyweight.
On Saturday night, Alex Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title when he bounced back in emphatic fashion by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in the first round of the UFC 320 main event.
The Brazilian put his disappointing performance earlier this year behind him, once again showcasing why he is one of the biggest stars in the sport because of his stand-up prowess.
And following his impressive performance, Pereira went on to state that he is targeting a heavyweight super fight against Jon Jones, which would undoubtedly be one of the biggest fights ever.
Pereira is one of the greatest strikers in UFC history and that would translate to heavyweight
It’s undeniable that ‘Poatan’ is one of the greatest strikers to ever step foot in the Octagon.
Despite beginning his career at middleweight, Pereira likely packs more power in his punches than most heavyweights on the current UFC roster, barring maybe the current champion, Tom Aspinall.
Not only that, but being from a kickboxing background, ‘Poatan’ also has an array of different attacks that most heavyweights don’t have, like his arsenal of kicks and knees.
Sometimes when fighters move up in weight, the main issue they have is attempting to get their power to carry up in weight.
But Pereira has that death touch, no matter what, and that wouldn’t be an issue for him if he did move up.
How would Alex Pereira fare against the current heavyweight crop?
Although the 38-year-old is arguably the greatest striker to ever grace the Octagon, that’s as far as his skillset extends.
On the ground, his skills have left a lot to be desired and if he was to fight someone who game planned around his grappling and ground game, he would likely run into issues.
At light heavyweight he could get away with that a little bit more as he is bigger than any other light heavyweight on the roster.
At heavyweight, though, he wouldn’t be able to just rely on size to help him get out of trouble.
When you compare the Brazilian to the current heavyweight champion, Aspinall, their skillsets are practically incomparable.
Aspinall is not only the faster striker, but he also possesses a ground game that would put Pereira into positions he’s never been put in before.
And there is a reason why he hasn’t called out the British champion who is currently in his prime, and has instead called out a retired Jones, who has been regressing with each outing.
Not only would Aspinall give him a world of trouble, even the likes of Jailton Almeida and Alexander Volkov would likely give him trouble, but fans aren’t ready to hear that.
Ultimately, I think Pereira is one of the most clever fighters on the roster, and there’s a reason why he’s called out ‘Bones’.
Not only is it an easier matchup for him than Aspinall, but it would also earn him more money.
However, if Pereira wants to chase history and become the first three weight world champion, he is in for a rude awakening, and moving to heavyweight could mark the beginning of the end of his career.