Alex Pereira eyes UFC return, believes he’ll face Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker next

ByMarc Ray
Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker

UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira says he’d like a fight in April or May and predicts his opponent will be either Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker. 

In an interview with ESPN, Pereira spoke about wanting to defend his title soon and the two middleweights who will likely be discussed as potential opponents. 

“I want to come back in April or May,” Pereira said. “I will be ready for those dates. There’s nothing in the works now, and I know probably it’s going to be Izzy with a rematch, or probably Robert Whittaker.” (via ESPN, h/t Yahoo Sports) 

Alex Pereira Has Been Impressive Since Signing With The UFC

Pereira (7-1) won the UFC middleweight title in comeback fashion against Adesanya at UFC 281. ‘Poatan’ caught his rival with a combination in the fifth round to secure the knockout win and UFC gold. It was just his eighth mixed martial arts fight. An rematch with Adesanya would be the fourth combat sports meeting between the two. 

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Pereira is undefeated since arriving in the UFC. He has wins over Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Bruno Silva, and Andreas Michailidis.

Whittaker is a former middleweight champion. He first won the interim title against Yoel Romero in July 2017 at UFC 213. He last defeated Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision last September. 

Notably, UFC 287 is scheduled is expected to take place on April 8 with no location or venue announced. The UFC has yet to release the May schedule.

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Marc Ray has lived his entire life in Houston, Texas, where he was born, raised and attended the University of Houston, studying broadcast journalism. As you may imagine, he spends much of his time watching mixed martial arts as part of his daily routine — not only to pump himself up, but also because he deeply enjoys the sport. Ray has worked for Houston Public Media, where he interned in the newsroom and produced community stories. Ray also created sports features in Houston for El Gato Media Network and occasionally produced content for an internship at AARP.

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