Rumors of a potential fight involving Alex Pereira have caught Joe Rogan’s attention.
As the new year approaches, Alex “Poitin” Pereira’s next move in the UFC remains uncertain. Although officially entering 2026 as the light heavyweight champion, Pereira was stripped of the title by Magomed Ankalaev in March. Pereira regained the light heavyweight belt by defeating Ankalaev at UFC 320 in October, marking the start of his second reign as the 205-pound champion. Fans are hopeful that his next opportunity will come in a different weight class.
After achieving his sixth victory in eight UFC title fights, Pereira expressed his desire to skip defending his belt against contenders like Carlos Ulberg and instead aim for a move up to heavyweight. Joe Rogan shared on his podcast that he has heard chatter about Pereira possibly fighting Cyril Gane while Tom Aspinall recovers from an eye injury sustained during UFC 321 in October.
Initially seen as a strong contender to face Jon Jones and potentially be labeled the UFC’s greatest of all time (GOAT), Pereira’s hopes for that showdown have been cast into doubt by Dana White’s position on Jones’ return. With Tom Aspinall sidelined, there is talk, including from former fighter Josh Thomson, about an interim heavyweight title bout between Pereira and Gane.
Rogan commented that Pereira currently weighs over 240 pounds and praised his knockout power, stating he hits harder than anyone the UFC has ever seen. However, Pereira’s original plan to fight Jon Jones seems unlikely, as he recently shared on Instagram that a fight at the White House is not happening. If the Jones matchup falls through, Pereira is expected to focus on making history by becoming a UFC champion in three different weight classes.
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Fan Take: This news is significant for fighting fans as it signals a potential shift in the heavyweight division landscape with a dynamic, hard-hitting champion like Pereira moving up. His pursuit of multi-division titles could reshape UFC’s competitive hierarchy and create highly anticipated matchups, keeping the sport exciting and unpredictable.
