Jason Burgos
On Sunday night at UFC Freedom 250, Alex Pereira looked to make history. If he defeated Ciryl Gane to win the interim heavyweight title, he would become the first UFC fighter ever to win championships in three different divisions. Unfortunately for “Poatan,” he found out why that achievement is incredibly hard to attain.
For just the second time in his MMA career, the Brazilian suffered a knockout loss when he found out there is a big difference between light heavyweight and heavyweight power. So what’s next for the former two-division champ? We offer up five ideas for who Pereira could face in his UFC return.
Ciryl Gane
Either Alexander Volkov or Sergi Pavlovich should be next in line if Tom Aspinall is still not ready to return to the cage. However, the UFC has always loved star power or merit, and it isn’t impossible that they book a rematch between Pereira and Gane to headline a future numbered event.
The Brazilian has always been a company man and has done them favors in the past. Maybe he calls in a favor of his own and requests a second chance at making history.
Alexander Volkov
If Pereira wants to stay at heavyweight instead of dropping the weight he gained to return to LHW, he could be placed in a No. 1 contenders clash to prove he is still worthy of a future title opportunity. If Aspinall is next for Gane, Pereira taking on Alexander Volkov next would make sense.
The Russian is the second-ranked fighter at heavyweight. He has won six of his last seven, and his most recent loss was a split decision defeat against the new interim champ. If Pereira can beat a tall, rangy top contender like Volkov, he deserves another title shot.
Carlos Ulberg
Pereira may realize he isn’t powerful enough to win at the top levels at heavyweight and decides to go back to 205 pounds. If he does, he has a fantastic matchup waiting for him in the new division king, Carlos Ulberg. The native of New Zealand is a skilled and powerful striker with far fewer fight miles on his body. When he heals up from the major knee injury he suffered in his April title win, Ulberg vs. Pereira is a dream fight for the UFC.
Josh Hokit
Among the weird antics from rising heavyweight star Josh Hokit in his last couple of fights, Pereira has been on the wrong side of bizarre verbal attacks and call-outs from the American. The idea of a fight seemed ridiculous earlier this year, but after moving to 4-0 in the UFC (10-0 overall) with a UFC Freedom 250 win over Derrick Lewis, a matchup seems a lot more possible.
Furthermore, beyond emerging as a trash-talking contender, Hokit is an All-American wrestler with big power. It makes him a serious threat to “Poatan” in a potential fight.
Paulo Costa
After losing four of his last five at middleweight, one-time title challenger Paulo Costa has seemingly found himself at light heavyweight. He’s won two straight and has looked better and healthier, at 205 pounds. A clash between the talented Brazilian strikers would intrigue casual and diehard fans alike. Plus, it could easily headline a Fight Night card in Brazil.
