Former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira has confirmed that he’ll now move up to light-heavyweight after losing the title to his rival Israel Adesanya in their rematch at UFC 287 last Saturday night in Miami.
“My next fight will be at 205!” Alex Pereira stated on his YouTube channel. “I think I did my job at 185 and now I’m feeling good to go up to 205. Like I told you, when I’m feeling good, I will go up. This will be something natural, and now I think it is.
“My next opponent, I can’t tell you yet, but I will keep you updated here on my channel.
“Also, I want to make one thing clear, this division, 185, I always made weight. A lot of people had doubts, but I always fulfilled my obligation. But now is the moment to go up to the next division. This will be better for me.”
Pereira also gave his reaction to Adesanya’s post-fight gloating after finally having beaten his nemesis after failing to do so twice before in kickboxing and once in the UFC.
“All of you saw the provocation from Adesanya after the fight. He acts as if he has won against me three times, but it’s not like this,” Pereira said. “But I understand, or try to understand the happiness he has. It was his dream to win one time against me, and now he did. But let’s see what will his behavior be. I’m going up to light heavyweight because it’s a good option for me, but I’m sure if I would stay in this division, I can fight against him directly.
“He’s behaving like this because Dana White spoke after my fight about my weight. And it seems like he is thinking ‘Oh, this guy will never make weight again. I can provoke him, because he won’t do anything.’ I’m sure if I insist on fighting him immediately, the UFC and my promoters will make it happen,” he continued.
“I’m going up because it’s my option, and I talked to my team, and they think as well it’s a great option for me, so I’m going up. I’m not going up because I can’t make the weight anymore. I will always be able to make 185.”
It’s likely that the rest of the middleweight division, including Adesanya, will now be breathing a sigh of relief now that Pereira’s move up has been confirmed, and the kickboxing ace will definitely be a very intriguing addition to the top-end of the light-heavyweight roster.
That should give him plenty to chew on for now, but there’s still always the possibility that Pereira and Adesanya could end up in the Octagon again together before their careers are over.