Alex Pereira needs to be a three-sport world champion.
A former two-division Glory kickboxing champion, Pereira transitioned to MMA after which joined the UFC in 2021, the place he rapidly put collectively one of the completed careers in UFC historical past. A former middleweight champion and the reigning gentle heavyweight king, “Poatan” has already completed greater than most fighters may dream of, however he’s not able to cease there. As a result of apart from his ambition to bump up and problem for the heavyweight title, Pereira additionally hopes to in the future compete contained in the boxing ring as effectively.
“I don’t know, I believe something is feasible. It’s one thing I can’t plan, however it’s one thing I would love to do.”
“That’s one thing that I really need,” Pereira informed the Jaxxon Podcast through a Portuguese translator. “I’m beneath contract with the UFC. We all know [Conor] McGregor did it. I don’t understand how I’d, however sometime I would love to do it.”
Pereira has some expertise with boxing already, making his skilled debut again in 2017 and successful by third-round TKO. However Poatan isn’t speaking about simply dipping his toe within the water, he needs to leap proper into the deep finish of the pool.
“I’m the champ. I want to struggle the champ,” Pereira stated. “So Oleksandr Usyk …
“I believe it’s an excellent struggle. I really like boxing. I see some folks speaking, ‘Oh, if it had been pure boxing he could be misplaced’. Man, once you discuss pure boxing, I really feel nice. I believe I may struggle these guys on the market. I’ve already executed some sparring with skilled guys, Plinio [Cruz, his coach] is aware of it, they usually’re successful the whole lot there.”
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist boxer at heavyweight, Usyk is among the prime pound-for-pound boxers on the planet in the meanwhile and shifting up the ranks of all-time greats following his pair of wins over Tyson Fury in 2024. That implies this might be a monumentally troublesome activity, however Pereira’s coach has full religion in his potential.
“Me, personally, I’ve put him already to spar some world-class, top-10 heavyweight boxers,” Plinio Cruz added. “Guys with names, actual good names that I’m not going to say, however he did actually good, so I believe he may do good. I imagine in him.”
Pereira is scheduled to make the fourth protection of his gentle heavyweight title towards Magomed Ankalaev in the principle occasion of UFC 313 on March 8.
