Daniel Cormier has some intriguing thoughts on Alex Pereira as he gears up for UFC 307 this weekend. ‘Poatan’ has been one of the biggest names in the UFC, but Cormier believes this fight will truly test his star power. Unlike headlining a mega event like UFC 300 or stepping in for Conor McGregor, Pereira is carrying this card on his own.
The success of UFC 307 is all down to Pereira, Cormier believes, highlighting the pressure that the Brazilian faces to deliver an exciting show.
Being a big name in the sport and being able to sell PPVs are two different things and on Saturday the UFC brass will find out for sure which category Pereira fits in.
Ahead of the big event, Cormier shared his thoughts in depth while chatting with Chael Sonnen. The former champion said,
“Obviously 300 he had help, that was the biggest card and they promoted it. 303 did well but again people expected Conor McGregor there. The general fan will show up when they think it is Conor McGregor. I think on Saturday night, we learn whether he is as big of a star as we think he is. This one is stand alone. This one has no rub.”
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Cormier feels that the UFC light heavyweight champion had a massive push in both of the fight cards he has headlined this year. UFC 300 was pushed massively by the promotion and UFC 303 was supposed to have Conor McGregor on it.
Therefore, UFC 307 will be the first litmus test of how good Pereira really is at the box office. But first, he will need to win this fight.
Pereira’s got options
Now, Pereira isn’t going anywhere—at least not for now. As the UFC light heavyweight champion, he’s set to defend his title against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 this Saturday in Salt Lake City.
When asked about potentially moving up to heavyweight or dropping back down to middleweight, “Poatan” made it clear he’s happy right where he is. “I would choose to defend my belt,” he said, highlighting the planning involved in both cutting weight and moving up in weight classes.
After leaving the middleweight division following a loss to Israel Adesanya, Pereira claimed the 205-pound title with a knockout win over Jiri Prochazka. He has since defended the title twice and done so easily.
But following Izzy’s loss to DDP, ‘Poatan’ had expressed interest in facing Dricus du Plessis again after Rountree. So there’s a good chance he might cut weight for good.
But then again, he’s also open to the idea of training with heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who plans to retire after one more fight. Pereira noted, “Training and learning from him is something I would absolutely do”.
But for now, though, his focus is solely on defending that title!
