Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev – Light Heavyweight Showdown Looms Ankalaev Claims Dana White Said
Alex Pereira’s next fight is all lined up, and no, it’s not against Jon Jones.
Poatan’ successfully defended his light heavyweight title three times in 2024, scoring a trio of highlight-reel knockouts against Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree. Recent rumors suggested that the UFC was courting Pereira to save another event after its welterweight headliner at UFC 310 on December 7 fell through.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the ‘Brazilian Boogeyman’ won’t be closing out the promotion’s pay-per-view scheduled next month, but we do know who he’ll face when 2025 rolls around.
According to top-ranked contender Magomedov Ankalaev, UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that he will be next in line for a shot at Pereira’s 205-pound title.
“@danawhite told my team I’m next for Alex,” Ankalaev wrote on X. “Thank you for clearing this today.”
Dana White shoots down jon jones’ demands for a fight with Alex pereira
Pereira vs. Ankalaev has been rumored for some time and, by all accounts, is the fight to make at the top of the light heavyweight division. Especially after Ankalaev’s 11th straight win against Aleksandar Rakić in Abu Dhabi. However, there was some doubt about their pairing, particularly after undisputed heavyweight king Jon ‘Bones’ Jones began lobbying hard for a BMF bout with Pereira.
“Alex Pereira is the only fight, right now, that makes sense to my legacy,” Jones said during Wednesday’s UFC 309 media day. “At the end of the day, Pereira is worth risking it for me. He [Aspinall] just doesn’t have the titles. He can have the high finishing rate, but he doesn’t have titles. It only makes sense to fight someone on your level.”
Unfortunately for Jones, Dana White isn’t interested in making that fight happen. During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, the UFC CEO shot down any possibility of a bout between ‘Bones’ and Pereira, adding that if Jones wants to fight beyond Saturday’s card in NYC, there’s only one open road to take.
“Jon will do what he does on Saturday,” White said. “If he wins, he’ll disappear for a while and the competitive spirit will start bubbling up again, and then money will talk. If he doesn’t decide to retire, he absolutely, positively fights Aspinall. He’s not fighting Pereira.
“[Pereira] was a middleweight who moved up to light heavyweight. He’s also a kickboxer who has done very, very well in MMA. His wrestling isn’t even near the level of Jon Jones, and Jon Jones is way bigger than him. If Jon Jones wants to fight again after Saturday night, he will fight Tom Aspinall.”
