UFC: Alex Pereira to move up to 205-pound after loss to Adesanya

MY PLANS ARE OFFICIAL I Announcement I Alex Poatan Pereira

Following a defeat to Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya at UFC 287, former UFC middleweight champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira announced on his YouTube channel on Thursday that he would be in a higher weight class for his next fight.

Previously in November, the São Paulo native won the UFC 185-pound title after knocking out Adesanya. He also put up an impressive performance during a title rematch at UFC 287 in Miami last Saturday. Pereira managed to corner Adesanya, but The Stylebender struck back with a counter right hand, resulting in Pereira’s first loss in the UFC.

“My next fight will be at 205 [pounds],” the 35-year-old said, adding that he was confident and felt “natural” about the decision.

Alex “Poatan” Pereira

2023-04-13 04:04

My plans are official ! Announcement 📣 Full video on https://t.co/yR9Pvub1er https://t.co/Rzs4RHvDKy

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Fighters welcome Pereira to new division

Pereira (7-2) did not mention any particular opponent he would like to fight in the weight class. However, he will likely face reigning champion Jamahal “Sweet Dreams” Hill (12-1).

Hill won the title in January by defeating Pereira’s mentor and teammate, Glover Teixeira, at UFC 283 in Brazil. Pereira served as a cornerman for Teixeira during the fight.

Following Pereira’s announcement, Hill posted a message on Instagram, saying, “Welcome, can’t wait to see you.” Poatan responded to the post, saying, “I am coming and will kick your door in.”

UFC on BT Sport

2022-11-17 15:10

“Did you see the size of the fella? Who let this guy in?!” 😅 @robwhittakermma relfects on Alex Pereira’s performance at #UFC281 and is confident he’d get the job done against the champ 🏆 📹: UFC https://t.co/Icscs0hD7d

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Before the announcement, Polish fighter Jan “John” Błachowicz revealed interest in fighting Pereira. During an interview with reporter Petesy Carroll, Błachowicz said he did not think much about Pereira but was open to the possibility, saying, “I think, yeah, why not?”

The third-ranked light heavyweight acknowledged that Pereira would be a significant challenge and that the fight would be exciting. Błachowicz added that he would wait and see what Pereira’s next move would be.

Another fighter who has expressed interest in welcoming Pereira to the light heavyweight division is Volkan “No Time” Oezdemir. The Swiss fighter posted an image of himself on Instagram, tagging Pereira and writing #welcometo205.