MMA
Dana White Put on Notice as Alex Pereira Sets Sights on Jon Jones for Heavyweight Debut
UFC 320 was a historic night for Alex Pereira, as he dethroned Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim the light heavyweight title. In just 80 seconds, the Brazilian finished the Dagestani in a ruthless display of ground strikes. From the opening bell, ‘Poatan’ came forward aggressively, cornering Ankalaev and dropping him with a looping right hand. The finish came soon after, as Pereira unleashed a dozen vicious 12–6 elbows, forcing referee Herb Dean to stop the fight. With this victory, Pereira reclaimed the title he lost at UFC 313 in March and became a three-time champion inside the Octagon. But it appears the Brazilian isn’t done yet as he has his sights set on another divisional strap.
Alex Pereira Wants a Superfight With Jon Jones at the UFC White House Card
It seems clear that Pereira is eager to move up to heavyweight to chase a record third divisional title. UFC CEO Dana White revealed this at the post-fight presser, explaining that Pereira had informed him of his intentions even before the event.
White recounted, “Today, I was at work because I had a bunch of meetings, and I went over to the (UFC Performance Institute) and he was over at the PI. I was like, ‘You’re the last guy I expected here today. What are you doing here?”
He added, “And they were telling me, ‘We want to fight at heavyweight.’ I said, ‘Uh, how about you win tonight, and then we can talk about heavyweight.’ I don’t know. There’s still fights here in this division, but we’ll see.”
ALSO READ: MMA World Erupts as Alex Pereira Destroys Magomed Ankalaev in Just 80 Seconds at UFC 320
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The UFC head honcho has previously shut down this idea, but this time, his tone was more favorable to Pereira’s plans. “It’s not that I have any reservations about it. The guy is in a division where there’s still interesting fights,” White explained.
He concluded, “I like the guy so much. We’ll see. We’ll have to talk about it. I just don’t see why, unless he wants to retire. Why throw him at heavyweight? (It doesn’t) make any sense other than he just wants to do it so bad, I’ll just say yes.”
Pereira himself addressed the topic at the post-fight presser, keeping his focus clear: “I will answer this question just one time. With all due respect to the situation, I was going to ask about Jon Jones and Dana White, but whatever happened, it’s not the right time to talk about it.”
Oct 4, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Alex Pereira (blue gloves) reacts after the fight against Magomed Ankalaev (red gloves) during UFC 320 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
For the unversed, Pereira paid tribute to Jon Jones’ brother during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Arthur Jones passed away earlier this week due to heart complications. The elder Jones played in the NFL for seven years and was best remembered for his time with the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he won Super Bowl XLVII, and his stellar performance in the 2012-13 season.
Alex Pereira asked the crowd to take a moment of silence for Jon Jones’ late brother, Arthur Jones after his win. pic.twitter.com/7vTXjRjLLR
— ESPN (@espn) October 5, 2025
However, the Brazilian didn’t waver in his interview with the UFC broadcast team, doubling down on his dream of a super fight with Jones. When asked about potential opponents at heavyweight like Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, Pereira simply laid out his map work to face the consensus MMA GOAT at the UFC White House event in 2026.
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He explained, “No, I want a superfight. It would be at the White House against Jon Jones.” This could be an interesting proposition as Jones has been demanding White to be on the historic card shortly after announcing his retirement.
With Jones pulling out of the Aspinall unification bout at the last minute, White had leaned toward Conor McGregor stepping in to headline the White House event. But with Pereira now in the mix and a well-documented history of callouts between him and Jones, fans may finally get the superfight they have been waiting for, one truly worth their attention and money.
