Alex Pereira gives truthful response about fighting Tom Aspinall ahead of UFC return
Alex Pereira has admitted that he would ‘want to’ fight Tom Aspinall should the latter become the UFC heavyweight champion. Pereira is the current champion of the light heavyweight division, having defended the 205-pounds belt three times in 2024. Pereira has been spotted at various events since his last UFC boutgetty Including appearing in the audience during a Friday night WWE Smackdown showgetty He has been linked with a blockbuster fight against Jon Jones , who is the current UFC heavyweight champion and has previously stated he would prefer a fight with Pereira over interim champion Aspinall. It was revealed during UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2025 that Pereira would return to the octagon in March to fight Magomed Ankalaev. The matchup is set to be Pereira’s toughest yet as several MMA fans believe he could drop the belt to the Russian wrestling specialist. However, should he get past Ankalaev, those same fans have questioned who could possibly left for the Brazilian fan-favourite to fight in his current division. Hence the reason why Pereira has been heavily linked with a move up a division to fight either Jones or Aspinall. “I’ll fight anybody at heavyweight,” Pereira said on The Ariel Helwani Show when asked if he was interested in fighting Aspinall. “But I’m the champion, and Jon Jones is the champion. If Aspinall was the champion, I’d want to fight him.” Pereira previously asserted that he didn’t want a UFC return until May or June following an action-packed 2024, which included knockout victories over Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka. But the Brazilian also said once he started to train again that he immediately called his manager to say he wanted to fight Ankalaev in March. Pereira said he would fight anybody at heavyweightgetty The pair are set to main event UFC 313 in Las Vegas, with Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje squaring off in a five-round co-main event. Pereira is surprisingly the underdog in many oddsmakers around the world, but this isn’t something that bothers the 205lbs title holder. “I don’t care about all of that, I just keep doing my job,” Pereira added. “People tell me: ‘You’re the underdog, he’s the underdog,’ I couldn’t care less what I am in the odds. So I just do my job.” Pereira went on to say that he wants to fight three times in 2025, although he has ‘no names’ on the list for his future bouts. UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan has previously weighed in on the conversation, admitting that he wouldn’t be surprised if Jones retired in 2025. Jones last fought in the octagon at UFC 309 in November, defending his belt against the now-retired Stipe Miocic. Aspinall is the interim heavyweight champion, having last fought at UFC 304getty He was in attendance for Jones’ last victory over Miocic and wants to fight him nexrgetty Britain’s Aspinall has been waiting in the wings for a title shot since he was crowned interim champion of the heavyweight division in 2023. Jones had suggested he would rather take on Pereira and insisted he was done with fighting ‘dangerous up-and-comers’ during UFC 309’s post-fight press conference. Rogan claimed that Jones wanted $30million to fight Aspinall, but has since corrected himself after UFC CEO Dana White told him the rumour was ‘bulls***’. “Well, apparently Jon is thinking about retiring. And he should,” Rogan said on his podcast. “I mean, he’s going to have to some day. I’m not saying he should retire, I’m saying he should think about it. “Give the man all the time he wants and he can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones, he’s the GOAT. So leave him alone.”
Alex Pereira has admitted that he would ‘want to’ fight Tom Aspinall should the latter become the UFC heavyweight champion.
Pereira is the current champion of the light heavyweight division, having defended the 205-pounds belt three times in 2024.
He has been linked with a blockbuster fight against Jon Jones , who is the current UFC heavyweight champion and has previously stated he would prefer a fight with Pereira over interim champion Aspinall.
It was revealed during UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2025 that Pereira would return to the octagon in March to fight Magomed Ankalaev.
The matchup is set to be Pereira’s toughest yet as several MMA fans believe he could drop the belt to the Russian wrestling specialist.
However, should he get past Ankalaev, those same fans have questioned who could possibly left for the Brazilian fan-favourite to fight in his current division.
Hence the reason why Pereira has been heavily linked with a move up a division to fight either Jones or Aspinall.
“I’ll fight anybody at heavyweight,” Pereira said on The Ariel Helwani Show when asked if he was interested in fighting Aspinall.
“But I’m the champion, and Jon Jones is the champion. If Aspinall was the champion, I’d want to fight him.”
Pereira previously asserted that he didn’t want a UFC return until May or June following an action-packed 2024, which included knockout victories over Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka.
But the Brazilian also said once he started to train again that he immediately called his manager to say he wanted to fight Ankalaev in March.
The pair are set to main event UFC 313 in Las Vegas, with Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje squaring off in a five-round co-main event.
Pereira is surprisingly the underdog in many oddsmakers around the world, but this isn’t something that bothers the 205lbs title holder.
“I don’t care about all of that, I just keep doing my job,” Pereira added.
“People tell me: ‘You’re the underdog, he’s the underdog,’ I couldn’t care less what I am in the odds. So I just do my job.”
Pereira went on to say that he wants to fight three times in 2025, although he has ‘no names’ on the list for his future bouts.
UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan has previously weighed in on the conversation, admitting that he wouldn’t be surprised if Jones retired in 2025.
Jones last fought in the octagon at UFC 309 in November, defending his belt against the now-retired Stipe Miocic.
Britain’s Aspinall has been waiting in the wings for a title shot since he was crowned interim champion of the heavyweight division in 2023.
Jones had suggested he would rather take on Pereira and insisted he was done with fighting ‘dangerous up-and-comers’ during UFC 309’s post-fight press conference.
Rogan claimed that Jones wanted $30million to fight Aspinall, but has since corrected himself after UFC CEO Dana White told him the rumour was ‘bulls***’.
“Well, apparently Jon is thinking about retiring. And he should,” Rogan said on his podcast.
“I mean, he’s going to have to some day. I’m not saying he should retire, I’m saying he should think about it.
“Give the man all the time he wants and he can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones, he’s the GOAT. So leave him alone.”
