Receiving the offer of a light heavyweight title defense against Dricus du Plessis ahead of the former’s title fight at UFC 297, following viewing last night in the South African’s victory over his teammate, Sean Strickland, former two-weight champion, Alex Pereira appears to be weighing up a potential final career foray at 185 pounds.
Pereira, a former undisputed middleweight champion and the current undisputed light heavyweight titleholder, has been sidelined since he landed the vacant belt back in November at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden.
Turning in his second consecutive victory since his middleweight title defeat back in April, Pereira stopped the returning former titleholder, Jiri Prochazka with a devastating second round TKO win in New York.
Alex Pereira teases middleweight return
And receiving a call out from du Plessis ahead of UFC 297 – should he emerge victorious with a middleweight title in tow, following last night’s action, in which Pereira cornered former opponent, Strickland en route to a close split decision loss, the Brazilian teased a move back to his prior stomping grounds.
“Maybe one last rodeo at middleweight?” Alex Pereira posted on his official Instagram account.
Alex Pereira asked us to airdrop him this picture last week in Toronto.
Today, he posted it to hint at a potential fight for the Middleweight title.
Zoom in
pic.twitter.com/WZDd8OIrKI
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) January 21, 2024
However, appearing to switch his attention to long-time rival and would-be common-foe, Israel Adesanya after his title triumph at UFC 297, Pretoria native, du Plessis welcomed the possibility of a championship defense against the former two-time gold holder – as soon as UFC 300 in April in a quickfire Octagon return.
Yet to book his own return to the Octagon, Sao Paulo knockout artist, Pereira has been hot in his pursuit of a title fight with former gold holder, Jamahal Hill next, however, has also been the subject of speculation linking him similarly with a UFC 300 return – in the form of an interim heavyweight title fight against champion, Tom Aspinall.
Would you like to see Alex Pereira fight Dricus du Plessis?