Rumors of a potential showdown between Alex Pereira and Jon Jones gained traction in recent months as the UFC assembled its planned event in Washington, D.C.
Rumors of a potential showdown between Alex Pereira and Jon Jones gained traction in recent months as the UFC assembled its planned event in Washington, D.C.
Pereira addressed the speculation while discussing the timeline that led to his upcoming heavyweight appearance. He explained that early conversations about his next bout took place well before April and were tied to a different window on the calendar. As those discussions progressed, Pereira realized the timing would not align with an April event, and the situation moved in another direction.
According to Pereira, he never pushed for a specific matchup tied to the rumored White House card. He said the timing of his next fight simply developed in a way that worked for both sides rather than being built around a particular opponent.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said:
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“I never heard anything about Jon Jones and the only time that I thought could possibly be was when he was negotiation… No [I wasn’t offered a fight against Jones].”
Check out Alex Pereira‘s comments below (13:20):
The matchup with Gane eventually became official as Pereira continues his move to the heavyweight division. With undisputed champion Tom Aspinall sidelined due to injury, the bout carries interim title stakes and positions the winner for a future meeting with the division’s champion.
Alex Pereira has secured a new long-term agreement with the UFC as he prepares for the next stage of his career.
The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion confirmed that he recently signed an eight-fight contract with the promotion. Pereira revealed the deal during an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s show, adding that negotiations with the UFC were smooth once he decided to move to heavyweight.
Pereira said the new agreement made the decision to relinquish the championship straightforward. He said:
“It was a pretty easy choice when I expressed I wanted to go [heavyweight.] Of course, I had to let go of the belt, but they gave me a new contract and I’m really, really happy with my new contract. I actually want to thank Mick [Maynard], Hunter [Campbell] and Dana White for it. So this new deal that they gave to me? I don’t care about letting go of the belt or anything like that… They took really good care of me. The way they gave me this last contract was so good that I let it up to them to do whatever they want. It didn’t matter.”
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