Will Pereira Go Back Down to Middleweight to Challenge Dricus du Plessis?
Alex Pereira being able to make 185 pounds doesn’t make much sense. The UFC light heavyweight champion has an imposing 6-foot-4 frame but seems much bigger in the octagon. Pereira has caught the UFC by storm since he debuted with the promotion in November 2021. Pereira has gone 7-1 in his eight fights and won both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles.
One of the only things Pereira hasn’t done is hold two titles simultaneously. Pereira upset his long-time kickboxing rival at UFC 287 to claim the middleweight title but would lose the rematch. When Dricus du Plessis recently defended the middleweight title, Pereira decided he may be willing to go back down in weight one more time.
While du Plessis playfully responded on social media that he would prefer to see Pereira fight Sean Strickland first, this may be too good of a super fight for the UFC to pass on. Pereira and DDP are both fighters who like to go for the finish.
MMAfighting latest news indicates this may be about people who are willing to pay to see it.
Pereira Says He’s Ready
It’s hard not to admire Pereira’s work rate, no matter what anyone may think of him overall. Since coming into the UFC, Pereira, 37, has fought three times in each full calendar year he’s been a part of the roster. Many of those opponents have been top guys in the promotion.
Pereira’s next opponent, Khalil Roundtree Jr., is actually kind of a step down in competition for his third title defense at UFC 307 in October. But Pereira posted on Instagram he was ready to cut weight one more time to give DDP a challenge.
“I’m focused on my next fight, and I’m going prepared, but you never know what can happen, so regardless of the results, I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt,” Pereira wrote. “Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me; with your public statement it is easy to make this happen.”
DDP Thinks Someone Else is Next in Line
Judging by the MMA latest updates on social media, DDP is playing things close to the vest on who his next opponent should be. DDP defending his title against Adesanya put him on the radar. When DDP responded to Pereira’s statement, he did it in typical fashion.
DDP likes to make things personal. He wrote a message on X to get across to Pereira that he wasn’t worried by him.
“@AlexPereiraUFC you and your boyfriend @SStricklandMMA can have a domestic dispute on who gets slept first,” DDP wrote on X.
Strickland and Pereira already fought at UFC 276 in 2021. Pereira knocked him out at the 2:36 mark of the first round. DDP took the belt off of Strickland last January in a narrow split decision.
Strickland has fought since, beating Paolo Costa in a split decision to establish himself as one of the top contenders for a rematch.
Should Pereira Even Switch Divisions?
Pereira fighting outside of light heavyweight seems like a popular topic. There have been several people who have floated the idea that Pereira could go up to heavyweight to try to become the first three division world champion in the UFC. This unprecedented move has received a mixed reaction.
One of the major problems for Pereira at heavyweight is the division is at a standstill. Jon Jones is still working his way back from an injury, and no one is sure how much longer the veteran fighter will want to compete. Pereira has also never fought at the weight class.
There is no doubting Pereira’s toughness, but who knows if he will want to give up that much weight. Pereira also has plenty of worthy challengers at light heavyweight.
Magomed Ankalaev is likely next in line and would give Pereira serious challenges on the mat. Pereira may be better off staying where he’s at and building his reputation at light heavyweight.
Middleweight Division Has Logjam of Contenders
One other possible wet blanket for a DDP-Pereira fight is how deep the middleweight division is. Strickland is likely deserving of a rematch, but a potential revenge fight with Robert Whittaker would be an interesting match for DDP as well. DDP flattened Whittaker in two rounds at UFC 290 back in 2023.
That dominant win over Whittaker, a former champion, propelled DDP into a serious title contender. Before the win over Whittaker, many people viewed DDP as more of an oddity. He has a wild fighting style where he doesn’t strike with a disciplined style.
Instead, DDP is willing to put himself in danger by rushing in to try and finish fights. While many people thought that style would get picked apart in the UFC, DDP has made it work. DDP is 8-0 in the UFC and has finished six of his fights by knockout or submission.
Should This be the Next Superfight?
Pereira and DDP are both fun fighters to watch. They are both willing to stand and strike. They both also have the power to finish any fight they are in.
Most importantly, the two men are close enough in weight that they could fight each other to see who is better. Pereira has talked in the past about how difficult it is to cut down to 185 pounds. However, Pereira seemed willing to do this again for the most worthy opponent.
DDP’s win over Adesanya seems to have Pereira wanting to test himself again. With how much the UFC likes Pereira, this is a good opportunity for the company to make money and for Pereira to get the test he wants. Hopefully, UFC CEO Dan White will find a way to make this one work.
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By Dean McHugh.
