Alex Pereira Eyes Return at White House Event After Fracture
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has revealed his plans for a possible return to the octagon in June, during the UFC event at the White House. This news comes after suffering a fracture in his left foot during his recent title fight. Pereira (13-3) regained his 205-pound title by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in just 80 seconds at UFC 320, held in Las Vegas. This fight was a rematch of their March encounter, where Pereira lost the belt by decision after five rounds.After the fight, Pereira was seen with an orthopedic boot on his left foot. In a public appearance in Rio de Janeiro, the 38-year-old fighter confirmed the fracture and expressed his hope to compete again in eight months, coinciding with the UFC’s visit to the White House on June 14.
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 it will take me to recover. I think it’s good to focus on this fight [at the White House]. Now, that’s something that interests me. After his victory at UFC 320, Pereira planned to challenge former heavyweight champion 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.This week, Pereira did not specify a return date or opponent. Options for his next challenge include defending the title against contenders like Jiří Procházka and Carlos Ulberg, or moving up to heavyweight to face the winner of this month’s title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Pereira has suffered bone fractures before and has returned in a timeframe similar to what it would take to be ready in June.
