GOAT vs. Poatan? Dana White quashes Alex Pereira’s heavyweight dreams after UFC 313

Dana White stumps out Alex Pereira's heavyweight dreams or Jon Jones super fight after UFC 313 PPV title loss.

GOAT vs. Poatan? Dana White quashes Alex Pereira’s heavyweight dreams after UFC 313

Alex Pereira isn't stealing Jon Jones fight from Tom Aspinall, after UFC 313 (Source: X)

Thrice in a post-fight interview has Alex Pereira wished for a move up to heavyweight. However, Saturday’s PPV headliner at T-Mobile was different. Pereira lost a unanimous decision to UFC 313 PPV title challenger Magoemd Ankalaev. Hence, UFC CEO Dana White quells any notion of a move up to 265 pounds or fighting Jon Jones.

The same night Alex Pereira got the honorary ‘One and Only’ stamp is the same night his holes in the game came out too gapingly wide. “Poatan” lost out on unanimous digits of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 on the judges’ scorecards, even though the playbook was in his own striking backyard. No wonder the UFC boss was hesitant before saying GOAT Jon Jones would piece him up.

When you’re trying to ask a guy to move up two weight classes to heavyweight and take on the greatest of all time … there’s still tough guys to fight in the light heavyweight division, I believe in moving up after you clean out divisions — And this division wasn’t cleaned out yet.

Dana White during UFC 313 PPV post-fight conference interviews
YouTube video

“Bones” previously angled for “f—k you” money to consider heavyweight title unification. He instead said that Alex Pereira was a better legacy option. But the road was never that easy. Dana White hints that a trial at heavyweight was far off, even if he came through at UFC 313.

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With a failed fourth consecutive 205-pound defense, Pereira vs. Jon Jones is far off. That opens up doors for Jones vs. Tom Aspinall to be booked next. Earlier in the week, Aspinall posted a video of Jones causing a 265-pound logjam yet again. While Dana White did not elaborate on it, he promised that the combat clique was very near to a Jones vs. Aspinall matchup.

Dana White insists Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones is on

265-pound champ (IC) Aspinall made the case for facing “Bones” more than Alex Pereria ever did. When the champ was out on a pectoral tear, Aspinall subbed in for an interim title scrap on the same card Poatan started his reign.

Dana White says heavyweight unification for Jon Jones still on
Dana White says heavyweight unification for Jon Jones still on (Source: X)

After that, the Brit even made a rare interim title defense at the UFC 304 PPV co-mains this past July. He punctuated a first-round KO of Curtis Blaydes and angled for a unifier. Riding high on 8-1 UFC stats (the lone loss due to injury), Aspinall has been champ for 16 months and counting. However, said unifier is yet to come. Dana White offered more updates on it.

Listen, Jon Jones definitely wants the fight, …Just when and where is what we’re working on now. … I’m very confident that fight happens.

Dana White further said

The heavyweight champ has already hinted at a legacy retirement and that his payout would have to be worth it. There were initial rumors about how much that fight compensation could be; it’s been dispelled ever since. Now, the boss said that they were working the links to make a sum and date final.

Related: Alex Pereira hails Jon Jones; draws clear line for ‘GOAT’ criteria: “What matters is…”