LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 04: Alex Pereira of Brazil (R) defeates Magomed Ankalaev by TKO in the first round during a light heavyweight title bout in UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 at T-Mobile Arena on October 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

A lot of people (myself included) counted Alex Pereira out for his rematch against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. Following a loss at UFC 313, where Pereira looked passive, flat, and at times overwhelmed, it appeared that Alex Pereira’s days as a UFC champion were behind him. At 38 years old, the idea of Pereira getting his belt back against a champion who had beaten him, who is also five years younger than him, seemed like too tall a task. However, the rumors of Alex Pereira’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, he looked better than ever at UFC 320. Alex Pereira’s first-round knockout of Magomed Ankalaev is the greatest performance of Poatan’s career. Pereira completely rewrote history. Pereira and Ankalaev are now 1-1, but Poatan’s victory at UFC 320 was so dominant that there is no call for a trilogy. His loss at UFC 313 is now erased, written off as a fluke due to injury from extreme activity in 2024. Even compromised, Pereira still only lost three rounds, to two, and it only took a healthy and rested Pereira less than 90 seconds to avenge his loss. 

Only nine fighters in the history of the UFC’s men’s division have become two-division champions. No fighter in UFC history has become a three-division champion. It is a daunting task to move up a weight class in the UFC. Few champions have been able to fully dominate their divisions. Right now, the most title defenses by an active UFC champion in the UFC belongs to Alexandre Pantoja with four. But Pereira has defeated five of the top six light heavyweights, including two victories over the #1 contender Jiří Procházka. The only top five contender to not fall victim to Alex Pereira is #3-ranked light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg. Despite a fresh opponent for Poatan, I believe Carlos Ulberg could use another signature win before being granted a title shot and being ranked third in the division. Ulberg has only one top five win. A unanimous decision 29-28 victory over a 42-year-old Jan Blachowicz, who was coming off a double shoulder surgery and an eighteen-month layoff.

Should Alex Pereira Move to Heavyweight?

Alex Pereira has built a Hall of Fame resume in just eleven fights in the UFC. Poatan is a three-time UFC champion, a two-time light heavyweight champion, and has defeated five UFC champions in Magomed Ankalaev, Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya , Jiří Procházka, and Jan Blachowicz. What Poatan has accomplished in the UFC in such a short period of time is truly unique. Now the question on everyone’s mind is: Can he challenge for GOAT status? At the end of the day, the UFC is a business. The priority is to sell tickets and make money. The best way to achieve this is for the promotion to prioritize showcasing exciting fights. The most exciting fight the UFC can make is the winner Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane vs Alex Pereira. 

“I don’t know. There are still fights here in this division, but we’ll see. This guy has been an absolute stud for us. He’s on vacation in Australia, flies over, and fights because somebody fell out. He fights when he’s hurt. He doesn’t care. He wants to fight everybody. He wants to move up to heavyweight. He’s a dream to have in this organization.” Dana White told reporters at the UFC 320 post-fight press conference. 

Why should the UFC do this? It is an opportunity for the UFC’s biggest star, Alex Pereira, to make history by becoming the first UFC fighter to become a three-division champion, solidifying himself as the greatest fighter in UFC history. There is no bigger fight they can make.