Alex Pereira Eyes Return at White House Event
The UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, has revealed his plans for his next fight. After suffering a fracture in his left foot during his recent title fight, Pereira is focused on a possible return at the UFC event at the White House, scheduled for June. Pereira (13-3) regained his 205-pound championship by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1) in just 80 seconds at UFC 320, held last weekend in Las Vegas. This fight was a rematch of the March encounter, where Pereira lost the belt to Ankalaev by decision after five rounds. Immediately after winning the title, Pereira was seen with an orthopedic boot on his left foot. In a public appearance in Rio de Janeiro, Pereira confirmed the fracture in his left foot. The 38-year-old fighter expects to be back in approximately eight months, which would coincide with the UFC’s visit to the White House on June 14.Following his victory at UFC 320, Pereira was scheduled to challenge former heavyweight champion and legend Jon Jones, but opted for a moment of silence in memory of the recent passing of Jones’s older brother, former NFL player Arthur Jones. Pereira and Jones have expressed mutual interest in facing each other in the past. Jones, who retired from MMA earlier this year, has announced plans to return and participate in the White House event. During this week, Pereira did not reveal an estimated date for his return nor a specific opponent. The options for his next challenge are varied, including a title defense against contenders like Jiří Procházka and Carlos Ulberg, or a possible move up to heavyweight to face the winner of this month’s title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Pereira has had bone fractures before and has returned in a period of time similar to what it would take to fight in June.“I had an X-ray in Las Vegas and then an MRI in Brazil. It showed a fracture in my foot, but I still don’t know what will happen or how long the recovery will take. I think it’s good to focus on this fight [at the White House]. Now, that’s something that interests me,” Pereira commented.
Alex Pereira
