Alex Pereira Calls for Heavyweight Move Following UFC 321 Chaos
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has publicly announced his desire to move up to heavyweight and revitalize the division following the disastrous conclusion of UFC 321 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
UFC 321
The Brazilian’s declaration came in response to the main event between heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and top contender Ciryl Gane ending in a no-contest after an accidental double eye poke forced Aspinall to withdraw at 4:35 of the opening round. The eye-poke left Aspinall unable to see out of his right eye, rendering him unable to continue and leaving fans, fighters, and UFC officials frustrated with yet another disappointing chapter in the heavyweight division’s recent history.
Alex Pereira Wants To Move to Heavyweight
Watching the chaos unfold, Pereira posted on Instagram with the caption: “Let’s Make the heavyweight Division Great Again!” The message was accompanied by three emojis, a stone face, a bone, and a white house, signaling his intention to face Jon Jones at the UFC’s planned White House event on June 14, 2026.
The callout represents a significant shift for Pereira, who reclaimed his light heavyweight title just 21 days prior at UFC 320 with a stunning 80-second knockout of Magomed Ankalaev. After losing the belt to Ankalaev via unanimous decision at UFC 313 in March, Pereira dominated the rematch with ground strikes and elbows, finishing the previously unbeaten Dagestani fighter in the opening frame. The victory marked Pereira’s quickest finish in his MMA career and the second-fastest title fight in UFC light heavyweight history.
Following the win, Pereira revealed to the media that he had approached UFC officials about moving to heavyweight before UFC 320. UFC CEO Dana White acknowledged the conversation, explaining that he encountered Pereira at the UFC Performance Institute prior to the event. “I was like, ‘You’re the last guy I expected here today. What are you doing here?’ They were telling me, ‘We want to fight at heavyweight.’ I said, ‘How about you win tonight, and then we can talk about heavyweight,'” White recalled at the UFC 320 post-fight press conference.
White expressed reservations about the move, noting that Pereira was originally a middleweight and would be jumping two weight classes in the UFC. The UFC boss stated his preference for Pereira to remain at light heavyweight, where competitive matchups still exist, but acknowledged that if the Brazilian desires the move strongly enough, he might approve it.
The heavyweight division has faced considerable turbulence throughout 2025. Aspinall spent a record 535 days as interim champion while waiting for a unification bout with Jon Jones, who repeatedly downplayed the matchup despite public pressure. An online petition calling for Jones to be stripped of his title gathered nearly 200,000 signatures before Jones ultimately announced his retirement in June.
Jones relinquished the heavyweight title rather than face Aspinall, elevating the British fighter to undisputed champion status. However, Aspinall has fought just three times since the start of 2023, with those contests lasting a combined 3:22. UFC 321 marked his first appearance since July 2024 and was intended to be his public coronation as the division’s true champion. Instead, the no-contest result added another frustrating chapter to the heavyweight division’s ongoing saga.
White confirmed at the UFC 321 post-fight press conference that an immediate rematch between Aspinall and Gane will be scheduled, contrary to his usual policy against promising immediate rematches. “They’re both in shape, other than whatever’s wrong with his eye. Both guys are not injured. As soon as possible,” White stated.
A potential superfight between Pereira and Jones would take place at the UFC White House event, scheduled for June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House. President Donald Trump announced the date during an address at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on October 5, noting it would coincide with his 80th birthday and the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
White previously stated he considers the odds of booking Jones for the White House card “a billion to one.” The UFC boss has also said the promotion will not discuss specific matchups for the event until February 2026. Despite these obstacles, both Jones and Pereira have continued to campaign publicly for the bout.
Pereira’s UFC career has been nothing short of historic. In less than four years with the promotion, he has compiled a 10-2 record with seven wins over current or former champions and eight title bout appearances in just 12 fights. He won the middleweight championship by knocking out Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in November 2022 before losing the rematch in April 2023. Pereira then moved up to light heavyweight, where he captured the vacant title with a second-round TKO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 in November 2023.
During his first reign as light heavyweight champion, Pereira defended the belt three times in 175 days, setting a UFC record for the shortest time span between three title defenses. He defeated Jamahal Hill, Prochazka in a rematch, and Khalil Rountree Jr. before losing to Ankalaev. His recent victory at UFC 320 made him a three-time UFC champion and a two-time light heavyweight champion.
The 38-year-old Brazilian has regularly weighed between 225 and 235 pounds as a light heavyweight, according to his own estimates, making the jump to the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds feasible. Pereira posted on Instagram in July that he was walking around at 243 pounds, further fueling speculation about a heavyweight run.
Whether the UFC approves the Jones superfight remains uncertain. White has repeatedly emphasized his preference for Pereira to continue competing at light heavyweight, where rising contender Carlos Ulberg has emerged as a potential challenger. A third fight with Prochazka also remains a possibility despite Pereira’s two dominant victories.
