Alex Pereira has become such a massive superstar for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that the reigning light heavyweight king is hoping for the promotion’s blessing to compete in the sport of boxing. More specifically, “Poatan” has his sights set on a champ vs. champ matchup against boxing’s heavyweight king, Oleksandr Usyk.
It’s no secret that Pereira is one the best all-around strikers in combat sports today. The former GLORY kickboxing champion has turned in a 9-1 record since joining the UFC roster back in 2021. This includes a 5-1 record in UFC title fights, three-straight UFC light heavyweight title defenses, and some of the most brutal knockout finishes fight fans have seen in years.
As a result of Pereira’s dominance, there isn’t much else for him to accomplish within the UFC’s 205-pound weight class. “Poatan” is scheduled to defend his title next against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 this coming March, but after that his only option would be to move up to heavyweight to become a UFC triple champion. That seems like the most logical move for Pereira as he tries to cement himself as one of the best fighters in UFC history, but a potential move over to boxing could also bring his stardom to new heights.
“I don’t know, I think anything is possible. It’s something I can’t plan, but it is something I would really like to do,” Pereira recently told the Jaxxon Podcast.
“That’s something that I really want. I’m under contract with the UFC. We know [Conor] McGregor did it. I don’t know how I would, but someday I would really like to do it.”
If UFC officials gave Pereira the greenlight to test his luck inside the boxing ring then “Poatan” would like to score a fight against Usyk, who is undefeated and coming off multiple wins over the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. It seems like it would be a good matchup since Pereira is very rangy, powerful, and more elusive than the larger heavyweights in boxing.
“I’m the champ. I would like to fight the champ,” Pereira said. “So Oleksandr Usyk …
“I think it’s a very good fight. I love boxing. I see some people talking, ‘Oh, if it were pure boxing he would be lost’. Man, when you talk pure boxing, I feel great. I think I could fight these guys out there. I’ve already done some sparring with experienced guys, Plinio [Cruz, his coach] knows it, and they’re winning everything there.”
If Pereira wants to bring his combat career to new heights in 2025 he’ll have to first defeat Ankalaev this March and force the promotion’s hand to do something incredible with him. A crossover boxing match might be unlikely, but anything is possible nowadays.
Thoughts?
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
