Alex Pereira remains confident that a superfight with Jon Jones will happen, arguing that Jones’ recent push for a UFC release actually keeps the matchup alive rather than kills it.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show recently, Pereira said he still expects to share the cage with Jones at some point, so long as he takes care of business in his next outing. He framed the fight as the logical option if Jones decides to compete again while still under contract with the promotion.
Alex Pereira Explains Why He Still Thinks a Jon Jones Fight Gets Made Anyway
“[I] believe it happens because he’d have to be released by the UFC,” Pereira said via translator. “I don’t think the UFC is going to release him anytime soon so if he wants to fight, who’s it going to be against? It’s going to be against me.”
Pereira stressed that his focus for now is on winning his next bout, but he clearly sees the Jones fight as tied to his ability to keep momentum and star power high. He also pointed out that his recent run has turned him into one of the promotion’s key attractions, which strengthens his case as the opponent for any Jones return.
Interest in Jones vs. Pereira has been building for more than a year through public callouts, interviews, and media speculation. In early 2025, before his latest light heavyweight title defense, Pereira openly targeted a future heavyweight clash with Jones, saying he wanted “champ vs. champ” rather than a random heavyweight test. Jones, for his part, has repeatedly signaled that Pereira is the one active fighter who truly excites him.
Despite that mutual interest, there have been obstacles. Dana White previously downplayed the idea, pointing to Jones’ size and wrestling and suggesting the matchup was unlikely on competitive grounds, even as Pereira kept his name in the conversation with finishes and title wins at 205 pounds. Talk cooled when Jones briefly retired and Pereira lost his light heavyweight belt, then ramped back up after Pereira reclaimed the title with a first‑round knockout and began exploring heavyweight.
Jon Jones Wanting to Leave the UFC
Pereira’s comments came days after Jones publicly asked to be released from his UFC contract following his exclusion from the high‑profile “Freedom 250” card at the White House. Jones ended a brief 2025 retirement to chase a spot on that event but was left off the lineup when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326. In a series of posts on X, Jones expressed frustration with negotiations and with White’s public framing of his health and readiness to compete.
“If the UFC truly feels like I’m done, then I respectfully ask to be released from my contract today,” Jones wrote, adding, “No more spins, no more games.” Reports from outlets including Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, CBS Sports, and Fox News all noted that Jones’ relationship with the promotion appears strained, with some analysts suggesting it may be near a breaking point. As of mid‑March 2026, however, there has been no announcement that the UFC has granted his request.
Alex Pereira to Heavyweight
While talking about Jones, Pereira is simultaneously preparing for his most ambitious move yet: a shift to heavyweight. The Brazilian, already a former middleweight champion and reigning light heavyweight champion, is booked to headline the “Freedom 250” card at the White House, facing former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane on June 14. The matchup had been discussed internally even before the White House concept was finalized, according to Pereira.
Pereira has made clear that his focus in camp is on Gane, not Jones, and he has admitted the Jones discussion makes little competitive sense if he stumbles in his heavyweight debut. At the same time, he has described the Gane fight as an important step toward the legacy he wants at heavyweight, both because of Gane’s status and because of the historical weight of fighting on a card hosted at the White House.
By framing Jones as someone the UFC is unlikely to release soon, Pereira is betting on a window where a reconciliation leads directly to a marquee event built around the two of them. For now, the Brazilian says his job is to win at heavyweight and keep his name at the top of that shortlist, but he continues to speak as if a Jones showdown is less a fantasy and more a matter of timing and business.
