When the UFC needs a marquee fighter to step up on relative short notice, they’ll often times call former two-division champion Alex Pereira. “Poatan” has averaged four fights a calendar year since arriving in the fight promotion in November 2021.
The former middleweight titleholder and two-time light heavyweight champion relinquished his 205-pound title to move up to the heavyweight division and compete for an unheard-of third UFC championship. Pereira faces former interim heavyweight champion Ciyrl Gane in the UFC 250 Freedom fight card’s co-main event at the White House on June 14 with interim belt on the line.
Before making the walk from the Oval Office to the octagon, Pereira inked a new 8-fight deal with the fight promotion.
“Honestly, I just wanted to let go of my belt and fight heavyweight and fight for a belt,” Pereira told The Ariel Helwani Show. “I just expressed myself that I wanted to do a heavyweight fight and they took really good care of me.”
“They gave me a new contract,” Pereira continued. “I’m actually really, really happy with my new contract. I actually want to thank Mick [Maynard], Hunter [Campbell], and Dana White for it. So this new deal that they gave to me? I don’t care about letting go of the belt or anything like that. … They took really good care of me. The way they gave me this last contract was so good that I let it up to them to do whatever they want. It doesn’t matter.”
.webp?ssl=1 "The state of play at McLaren after three rounds of the 2026 season")
