Pereira Could Become UFC GOAT

Dana White has made a bold declaration about what a victory for Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 would mean for the sport's all-time rankings, stating that a third divisional title would elevate Poatan above Jon Jones as the greatest fighter in UFC history.

"You've got Pereira possibly winning his third world title," White told Forbes. "If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all-time,” White

The claim is a significant one given Jones's standing in the sport. The former simultaneous heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight and heavyweight champion has long been considered the UFC's greatest fighter by a substantial portion of the MMA community, with an argument built on dominance across two weight classes, a lengthy unbeaten run, and victories over some of the sport's most decorated names. White has now put Pereira's potential achievement above all of that.

Pereira joined the UFC in 2021 with just four professional MMA fights to his name, having built his reputation as a kickboxing champion in GLORY. From that starting point, he won the UFC middleweight title in his eighth professional MMA fight — a pace of ascent without precedent in the sport — before moving to light heavyweight and claiming that belt just three fights later.

A win over Gane on June 14 would make him the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in three divisions simultaneously or sequentially, and White's framing places that achievement at the top of the sport's historical conversation. Jones, currently pursuing a contract exit and dealing with hip issues, has not fought since relinquishing the heavyweight title.