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 fight was a rematch of their March encounter, where Pereira lost the belt by decision after five rounds. After the victory, Pereira was seen using 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 the UFC’s visit to the White House on June 14.Initially, Pereira was planning to challenge Jon Jones after his victory at UFC 320, but opted for a moment of silence in honor of the recent passing of Jones’s older brother, former NFL player Arthur Jones. Pereira and Jones have expressed 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. This week, Pereira did not provide an estimated date for his return nor revealed his possible 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 the fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Pereira has experienced bone fractures previously, and has managed to recover 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. 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 declared.
Alex Pereira