Alex Pereira has cleared a major hurdle toward a heavyweight push: UFC president Dana White has given him the greenlight to move up, even if the exact path ahead is still being mapped out. The shift comes after years of talk about Pereira stepping into larger weight classes, and it now sits at the center of the UFC’s light heavyweight and heavyweight planning.
Alex Pereira Gets the Greenlight for Heavyweight Move from Dana White
Pereira first entered UFC conversation at middleweight, where he knocked out Israel Adesanya in November 2022 to win the 185‑pound title, then moved up to light heavyweight and added that belt with wins over Khalil Rountree Jr., Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Jan Błachowicz. His only 205‑pound loss came against Magomed Ankalaev, whom he later avenged in a one‑punch knockout at UFC 320 on October 5, 2025, to reclaim the light heavyweight championship.
In the months leading into that rematch, Pereira told Ariel Helwani he would consider heavyweight only when cutting to 205 became too taxing, framing it as a long‑term signal toward his body rather than an immediate deadline. His coach Glover Teixeira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, publicly backed the idea, suggesting Pereira could move up and even pointed to a potential super‑fight against Jon Jones at heavyweight as the company’s biggest pay‑per‑view draw.
Dana White’s shifting stance
White initially questioned the logic of shifting a reigning light heavyweight into the heavyweight division, remarking at UFC 320 that he could not see why sending Pereira to heavyweight “made sense unless he wants to retire.” At that same post‑fight press conference, he told reporters that Pereira had approached him earlier in the day asking to fight at heavyweight, to which White had responded, “Win tonight and then we’ll talk about heavyweight.”
“He’s one of those guys that always steps up, does whatever we need him to do. Whatever that guy wants to do, we would work with him.”
Over time, White’s tone softened. Reports from late 2025 and early 2026 highlighted that White still viewed light heavyweight as a division with “interesting fights” for Pereira, but he also acknowledged that the Brazilian’s track record, fighting on short notice, taking bouts while injured, and stepping in for injured fighters, earned him flexibility. By the time of the UFC Houston event in February 2026, White stated publicly that Pereira was one of the fighters who always “steps up” and does what the promotion needs, and that the UFC would “work with him” on whatever his next move is.
This language is not a done‑deal announcement; it is a door‑opening statement after a series of incidents that have built up Pereira’s leverage. Those include his willingness to leave Australia on vacation to step in for injured fighters, accepting tough matchups with little notice, and repeatedly delivering finishes that elevate the promotion’s pay‑per‑view and Fight of the Night numbers.
Heavyweight‑champion Jon Jones has been the boogeyman in this conversation since the first whispers of Pereira moving up, with Teixeira and other media figures repeatedly suggesting a Pereira–Jones super‑fight would be the division’s top draw. While White has previously questioned whether Pereira, at a smaller frame, makes sense opposite Jones at heavyweight, he has also indicated he would be willing to make the matchup if both fighters push for it.
What fans can expect in the near term is clarity on how the UFC plans to book the rest of the light heavyweight top five while Pereira weighs his options. If reports stay consistent, the keyword is “optionality”: Dana White has signaled that Alex Pereira will not be forced to stay at 205, and that if he decides the heavyweight path is worth the risk, the UFC will engineer his route there rather than block it.
