“Heavyweight division is nasty…” UFC boss Dana White skeptical of Alex Pereira’s ambition to become three-weight champ

Dana White reacts to Alex Pereira's callout for a heavyweight fight at UFC 301.

“Heavyweight division is nasty…” UFC boss Dana White skeptical of Alex Pereira’s ambition to become three-weight champ

Dana White skeptical of Alex Pereira moving up in weight (Image via: IMAGO)

Alex Pereira has become a superstar in the UFC in just two years with the promotion. A Glory kickboxing two-division champion, Pereira also achieved a similar feat in the UFC. Moreover, after an impressive victory at UFC 300, Pereira has set his sights on a third division. UFC CEO and decision maker Dana White remains skeptical of that idea.

Pereira called for a heavyweight fight at UFC 301 in his octagon interview with Joe Rogan at UFC 300. Even though he did not name anyone, Tom Aspinall is the likely target of the Brazilian. Reporters at the press conference of UFC 300 inquired about Pereira’s callout to Dana White. The UFC CEO seemed not interested in the idea.

So when you think about him [Alex Pereira] moving up to heavyweight, you know, you've got [Jon] Jones, you've got [Tom] Aspinall, and the list goes on and on in that heavyweight division. The heavyweight division is nasty. I don't know if that's the right move for him.
Dana White at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference
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Nonetheless, Dana White is not outrightly against the move. UFC CEO clarified to the reporters that he would have closed-door conversations with Pereira about his ambitions. White also praised Pereira for his performance against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. The fact that Pereira had a toe injury made his admiration grow even bigger.

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White thought Pereira injured his pinky finger on his leg during the fight. However, Plino Cruz revealed to White that the injury had happened weeks before. If not for Max Holloway‘s knockout of Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira might have gotten a $300K bonus. Nevertheless, the heavyweight ambition of ‘Poatan’ remains uncertain at the moment.

Dana White on Aljamain Sterling’s performance after moving up in weight

Aljamain Sterling and Dana White have a contentious relationship. Even though Sterling was a dominant champion at bantamweight, many felt that the UFC should’ve given more respect to Sterling. The American even had to make a quick turnaround after a title defense and eventually lost the title to Sean O’Malley.

Aljamain Sterling and Dana White
Aljamain Sterling and Dana White (via Imago)

After the loss, Sterling moved up to featherweight and defeated Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. In a lackluster fight, Sterling won via unanimous decision. However, there was a moment in the fight where Sterling seemed to do Batista’s WWE finishing move against Kattar. Dana White spoke highly of Sterling after UFC 300.

Anytime you move up in weight and win, especially against a tough guy like Calvin [Kattar], I thought that Aljo [Sterling] made Calvin look slow. Not a fan favorite on UFC 300, but moving up in weight and taking on a tough, gritty guy like Calvin is always a good win.
Dana White at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference

With the victory against Kattar, Sterling called for a potential #1 contender fight against Brian “T-City” Ortega. T-City is a former title challenger and an expert in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A matchup between the two would be a grappling MMA fan’s delight. Only time will tell if the UFC books that fight.

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