Alex Pereira Eyes Return at UFC’s White House After Fracture
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has revealed his plans for the future, focusing on a possible fight at the UFC event at the White House 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 fight was a rematch of the March encounter, where Pereira lost the belt to Ankalaev by decision after five rounds. After 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, indicating that he expects to return in eight months, coinciding with UFC’s visit to the White House on June 14.Initially, Pereira intended to challenge Jon Jones, former heavyweight champion, after his victory at UFC 320, but opted for a moment of silence in memory of Jones’ brother, Arthur Jones, who recently passed away. Pereira and Jones have expressed mutual interest in facing each other in the past. Jones, who retired from MMA earlier this year, has announced his intention to participate in the White House event. In his statements, Pereira did not specify a date for his return or an opponent. Options for his next challenge include defending the title against contenders like Jiří Procházka and Carlos Ulberg, or moving up in weight to face the winner of this month’s title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Pereira has experienced bone fractures before and has managed to recover in a timeframe similar to that needed to be ready for 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.
Alex Pereira
