Alex Pereira admits he was caught off guard Friday morning because the telephone notifications rolled in.
Throughout a UFC 301 struggle week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that he gained’t compete on, the promotion’s mild heavyweight champion Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) the focal point as soon as once more due to a sequence of tweets by UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“Yeah, it caught me unexpectedly, particularly after I noticed the primary message. I didn’t actually anticipate to see that this morning. I do know we’ve been doing an excellent job. There’s all this hype round me proper now. I spoke about going as much as heavyweight to struggle on this card. I knew it’d catch some eyes finally. I didn’t anticipate it to be so quick. However I used to be very honored and it was a really respectful message, so it was enjoyable.”
As he recovers from a number of surgical procedures, Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) hasn’t expressed curiosity in fights past a pending showdown with Stipe Miocic, proposed a bout vs. Pereira and referred to as it “the largest matchup in MMA historical past.”
Having already gained UFC titles at middleweight and lightweight heavyweight, Pereira has teased a transfer to heavyweight in try to seize an unprecedented third divisional championship.
The largest hurdle has been getting the UFC to log out on the transfer. Pereira thinks the potential superfight may twist the promotional brass members’ arms, nonetheless.
“Once I stated I want to transfer as much as heavyweight, I used to be very enthusiastic about that,” Pereira stated. “However the UFC didn’t appear to eager on that on the time. As soon as I noticed there was no actual curiosity from them on me going up, I spoke with my workforce, with my managers, and determined to give attention to the load class that I’m champion in, which is mild heavyweight. I’m doing excellent there. We sort of left heavyweight on the backseat till one thing modified. Now, I suppose plenty of curiosity has been generated and we’ve got to see what the promotion needs.
“… He’s on the sidelines for some time and he needs to do one other struggle earlier than that. So there’s plenty of issues to occur within the meantime and I simply wish to be energetic. I simply wish to struggle. If the UFC needs to inform me, ‘Hey, that is the trail so that you can get that struggle at heavyweight,’ so I can change my plans, that works. But when I don’t have something, I choose to not stray away from what we’ve got determined. To be occupied with issues and never have them come to fruition could be simply draining for me and for the followers. That’s undoubtedly a struggle I’d like to do. For me to maneuver as much as heavyweight, I want a while – however not that a lot time as a result of I’m already a giant man. So if they offer me the inexperienced mild and say, ‘Hey, this struggle is going on,’ I’m 100% preparing for it.”
Pereira declined to theorize if he may acquire “GOAT” standing with a win over who many contemplate to be the best fighter ever in Jones. He spoke with nothing however respect for Jones and
“That’s the very last thing on my thoughts,” Pereira stated. “What I take into consideration that is to be prepared, to be coaching, to maintain profitable titles, and be targeted. All the pieces else is for the general public to determine. Regardless of the people who find themselves watching and see my accomplishments there, it’s as much as them to determine if I’m the GOAT or not. That’s not one thing for me to determine. I simply wish to be prepared, do my job, and be one of the best fighter I will be.”
“… We’re each professionals. I’ve nothing towards Jon. I respect him rather a lot. We’re each attempting to construct one thing. He has an incredible profession and has constructed rather a lot. I’m constructing rather a lot on my profession as properly. I believe we’d make for a really entertaining matchup for the followers. If this finally ends up occurring, I imagine it’d be incredible. I’d be wanting ahead to it.
Whereas a lot is unsure about what the longer term holds, notably as Jones has a minimum of one struggle earlier than a future showdown, Pereira sees some plain truths concerning the struggle proposal: the struggle would appeal to large consideration – and ship.
“Now we have the followers. Now we have the athletes. Now we have the group,” Pereira stated. “I really feel in the event you ask the followers, in fact, they’ll be throughout it and overestimated for that struggle. There are different athletes within the division that want to maneuver on and all that, so we have to see what’s occurring. If the UFC provides us the inexperienced mild they usually present curiosity, we will make that occur. I’m positive everybody goes to take pleasure in it.”
“… It could be a conflict. It could be a really entertaining showcase for the followers. With all of the expertise and skillset that Jon has, but additionally with all the talents I’ve been rising throughout my MMA profession, all of the preparation I’ve been doing and the enhancements I’m having. I believe it might be a fantastic championship (struggle) and everybody could be entertained by that.”
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