Alex Pereira made a successful move up to the light heavyweight division by defeating Jan Blachowicz via split decision at UFC 291. With both fighters’ impressive credentials, it was expected that the winner would be part of a vacant light heavyweight title fight. Pereira looks forward to the opportunity but is not waiting for Israel Adesanya to join the division for a potential third fight.
Pereira expressed that he wants to take a break from the middleweight division due to the difficulty in making weight in a short span of time. He intends to have one more fight at light heavyweight before returning to the lower weight class. Pereira believes that a trilogy with Adesanya in the middleweight division is only fair since they are currently tied at 1-1 in their previous encounters.
In their last meeting at UFC 281, Adesanya stunned the world by knocking out Pereira to claim the middleweight title. Although Pereira moved up in weight after that loss, he still intends to go back to middleweight to settle the score. The vacant light heavyweight belt provides an opportunity for Pereira, and he’s open to facing any contender put in front of him.
Despite the noticeable size difference between Pereira and Blachowicz in their fight, Pereira reiterated his willingness to make the cut to middleweight again to face Adesanya. He feels energized and recharged after his move to light heavyweight but acknowledges some unfinished business at middleweight.