Alex Pereira, the semi-marked weight champion of the UFC, is widely regarded as the largest superstar of the most important martial arts company. Despite not knowing how to speak English, Pereira has earned the love of all fans with his simple yet charismatic personality, often sealing his identity with a mere ‘Chama’. His incredible knockouts and impressive performance in recent fights, including UFC 300 and UFC 303, have solidified his position as one of the most illustrious characters in the history of this sport.
Pereira recently went viral on social media for sharing a video that showed his weight, approximately 106 kilos or 235 pounds, just a month before his upcoming fight against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. This weight is nearly 14 kilos above the 92.5 kilos he needs to weigh on the official weighing day. However, it’s worth noting that Pereira is a fighter with enviable physics and genetics, allowing him to easily rise and lose weight. In fact, he can lose over 10 kilos in just one month and gain them back in just over 24 hours. At UFC 303 last year, Pereira revealed that he gained around 11 kilos or 25 pounds between the official weighing and his fight against Jiri Prochazka, which he won by knockout.
The Road to Becoming a Three-Division Champion
Thanks to his privileged physique, Pereira has achieved the belt in two different categories since his arrival in the company in 2021. With nine victories, seven knockouts, and six fights with a title at play, Pereira’s statistics are impressive. His end in the average weight category coincided with his first and only defeat in the company, a KO suffered against Israel Adesanya, which many blamed on the significant weight he had to cut to meet the required 83.9 kilos or 185 pounds.
If Pereira were to win his upcoming fight against Ankalaev, he might not have much more to do in his current category, leaving the doors open to a possible fight against Tom Aspinall or Jon Jones in the heavyweight category. Jon Jones has expressed his preference for fighting established champions, stating, “I want to fight against dangerous and already established champions.” This could set the stage for a potential fight between Jones and Pereira, should the latter emerge victorious against Ankalaev.
A Potential Fight Against Jon Jones
Jon Jones has already commented on his interest in fighting Pereira, preferring him as his next opponent over Tom Aspinall. Dana White has stated that Jones will have to unify the belt against Aspinall, the interim champion, but if he defeats the English fighter, a fight against Pereira could be on the horizon. Pereira, however, remains focused on his upcoming fight against Ankalaev and the potential reward of becoming a three-division champion, a feat that does not seem like a utopia given his impressive power and skills.