Alex Pereira Focused on White House Event After Fracture
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira revealed his focus on a possible fight at the White House event in June, after suffering a fracture in his left foot during his recent title fight. Pereira, with a record of 13-3, regained his 205-pound championship by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in just 80 seconds at UFC 320 in Las Vegas. This matchup was a rematch of their fight in March, where Pereira lost the belt to Ankalaev by decision. Following the victory, 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, mentioning his hope to return in eight months, coinciding with the UFC’s visit to the White House on June 14.Following his victory at UFC 320, Pereira was scheduled to challenge Jon Jones, but opted for a moment of silence in memory of Jones’s brother’s recent passing. Previously, both fighters had expressed interest in facing each other. Jones, retired from MMA, has announced his return for the event at the White House. This week, Pereira did not provide an estimated date for his return nor a specific 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 the fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Pereira has experienced bone fractures in the past and has returned in a timeframe similar to what it would take to fight in June.“I had an X-ray in Las Vegas and then an MRI in Brazil,” Pereira stated in Portuguese. “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.”
Alex Pereira
