Continually linked with a massive heavyweight leap in the form of a future title fight against heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, light heavyweight kingpin, Alex Pereira’s head coach claims a fight with the former and his student would be the “biggest” bout in the history of mixed martial arts.
Pereira, who is in the midst of a stunning light heavyweight run since his divisional leap last summer, added to his exploits at 205lbs at UFC 303 over the course of the weekend, laying waste to Jiri Prochazka with a blistering knockout win.
And already weighing up a heavyweight divisional leap off the back of his second career knockout win in a title fight, Pereira has aspirations to become the first three-weight champion in the history of the organization.
Receiving an offer of a move to heavyweight by current interim champion, Tom Aspinall – who himself is slated to rematch Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, Pereira was welcomed as an opponent by the streaking Atherton native.
“As we’ve seen with me, I’m not shying away from anybody,” Tom Aspinall told talkSPORT reporter, Jordan Ellis. “So, if the UFC wanna do that [a fight versus Alex Pereira], I’m happy to do that. I think as an elite level fighter myself, you can’t help but be impressed with what Alex Pereira has done over the last couple of years. I mean, this time two years ago, nobody had a clue who he was, now he’s one of the biggest stars in MMA – one of the best fighters in UFC history.”
“I really, really respect what he’s done,” Tom Aspinall explained. “Does that mean that I don’t wanna fight him? I absolutely wanna fight him, but I’m sure there’ll be a time and a place for it. I’m not jumping ahead of things right now, I’m fighting Curtis Blaydes now. If that’s what the UFC wanna do one day, then we’ll absolutely do it.”
Alex Pereira tipped to fight Jon Jones in heavyweight super fight
Also linked with a title affair against Jones – who himself is ramping up his training for a November showdown with veteran ex-champion, Stipe Miocic, Sao Paulo native, Pereira’s head coach is hoping to coax the Rochester native in to a massive clash in the future.
“I think it’d be a mega fight,” Plinio Cruz, Alex Pereira’s coach told MMA Fighting. “I think – the biggest fight this sport has ever seen. We all respect Jon Jones a lot. And I think it’s going to be just a great fight. I’m not going to say [who] wins, they lose, [who], wins, they lose. Fight is a fight, but I think it’s going to be the best fight between two great champions.”
Who wins in a future heavyweight showdown: Jon Jones or Alex Pereira?