Alex Pereira Eyes Heavyweight Legacy And a Future Clash With Jon Jones

Alex Pereira isn’t just chasing another belt he’s chasing history. The former two-division UFC champion has officially moved up to heavyweight for good, vacating his light heavyweight title in pursuit of a rare third championship. And while his immediate focus is on Ciryl Gane, Pereira already has his sights set on a much bigger name: Jon Jones. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type="show" ihc_mb_who="reg" ihc_mb_template="1" ] Pereira’s decision to leave the 205-pound division wasn’t impulsive it was strategic. After reclaiming the light heavyweight title with a dominant win over Magomed Ankalaev, Pereira felt there was nothing left to prove. Rather than risk stalling a division, he made the rare move of voluntarily giving up his belt. “I saw my weight, saw that I could do it,” Pereira explained. “I know they don’t like when you hold the division up, so I let it go.” At around 245 pounds, Pereira believes his body has already transitioned naturally into a heavyweight frame and more importantly, that his power translates. “I feel like I hit like a heavyweight,” he said. https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/2033641559619486159 UFC White House Card: History on the Line Pereira is now set to face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at the UFC’s highly anticipated June 14 card widely referred to as the White House event, a historic showcase backed by Ultimate Fighting Championship. A win would make Pereira the first fighter in UFC history to win titles in three different weight classes, elevating his already legendary résumé to unprecedented territory. From middleweight champion… to light heavyweight king… to potentially heavyweight titleholder Pereira is attempting something even icons like Jones never achieved. “Poatan” Playing the Long Game What separates this move from others is intent. Pereira made it clear this isn’t a one-off experiment. He’s not planning to bounce between divisions depending on results he’s committing to heavyweight. “I’ve been expressing for a long time that I’ve been wanting to fight at heavyweight,” he said. “I think I’ll probably stay around.” That stability matters in a division often defined by uncertainty. Jon Jones Still Looming Even though Pereira will face Gane next, the fight many fans and the UFC still want is Pereira vs. Jones. The matchup had been heavily discussed as a potential headliner for the June 14 card, but it never materialized. Still, Pereira believes the fight is inevitable if he wins. “I believe it happens, as long as I win this fight,” Pereira said. “Otherwise it doesn’t make too much sense.” From Pereira’s perspective, the logic is simple: as long as Jones remains under UFC contract, his options are limited and a superfight with a potential three-division champion becomes the biggest draw available. “If he wants to fight, who is it going to be against? It’s going to be against me.” Legacy Fights Ahead For Pereira, this move is about more than belts it’s about cementing his place in combat sports history. A victory over Gane puts him in a category of one. A win over Jones? That would put him in a category few fighters in any era could touch. The path is clear: Beat Gane Make history Then chase Jon Jones If “Poatan” pulls it off, the heavyweight division won’t just have a new contender it may have its next all-time great. https://dicecitysports.com/2026/03/16/how-dana-white-took-over-combat-sports/ [/ihc-hide-content]Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily! Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26

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Alex Pereira Eyes Heavyweight Legacy And a Future Clash With Jon Jones

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