Alex Pereira Eyes Return at White House Event After Fracture
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira revealed his plans to focus on a possible fight at the UFC event at the White House in June, this 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 the March encounter, where Pereira lost the belt to Ankalaev by decision after five rounds. Immediately after regaining the title, Pereira was seen with a walking boot on his left foot. During a public appearance in Rio de Janeiro this week, Pereira confirmed the fracture in his left foot. The 38-year-old fighter expects to return in eight months, coinciding with the UFC’s visit to the White House on June 14.Although he initially planned to challenge Jon Jones after his victory at UFC 320, Pereira opted for a moment of silence in memory of Jones’s brother, Arthur Jones, who recently passed away. Pereira and Jones have shown mutual interest in facing each other in the past. In his statements this week, Pereira did not provide a specific timeline for his return nor mentioned a particular opponent. There are several options for his next challenge, including a title defense against contenders like Jiří Procházka and Carlos Ulberg, or a move up to heavyweight to face the winner of this month’s title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Pereira has experienced bone fractures in the past and has returned within 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. A fracture in my foot was shown, 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
