Did you know Daniel Cormier didn’t always believe in Alex Pereira? In fact, he once thought Joe Rogan was overhyping the former kickboxer when he first made the jump to MMA. But now? Pereira’s dominance has turned Cormier into a believer, and he’s happy to make some pretty legendary comparisons.
To be fair to Cormier, Pereira signing with the UFC in 2021 was seen as a ‘hype’ hire than anything else. A viral video of him knocking out Israel Adesanya ages ago had forced the world to take notice of him.
But nobody could ascertain if that was a moment of insanity or something Pereira could replicate with a certain regularity. It’s been 4 years since, and now everybody knows the answer to that question. None more so than Cormier, who has often been privileged enough to have the best seat in the arena, calling fights as Pereira has risen through the ranks.
Now, as the light heavyweight champion gears up for his fourth title defense against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, Cormier has likened his meteoric rise to none other than Magic Johnson’s rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
For those unfamiliar with the NBA legend, Johnson didn’t just have a good first season; he led the Lakers to an NBA Championship in 1980, stepping up in the Finals when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured and even playing center in the deciding game. He was named NBA Finals MVP, cementing his place in basketball history.
Cormier sees that same game-changing energy in Pereira.
Speaking to the impact Pereira has had in a relatively short UFC career, DC said, “The fact that this man is only 12-2… It truly is impossible to put into perspective what he has done.”
“It’s almost like saying Magic Johnson, a rookie, that takes his team all the way to an NBA championship, that’s how important and how big of a deal it is,” the former UFC double champion added.
It’s hard to argue with that logic. Pereira transitioned from kickboxing to MMA, stormed through the middleweight division, and dethroned Adesanya. In November 2023, he would move up to 205 lbs and in his very second fight in the division, decimate Jiri Prochazka to win the light heavyweight title.
In 2024, he would be called upon by the UFC to save two major PPVs on short notice. He would not only show up and do the job but, in the process, defend the light heavyweight title thrice in under a year.
And it doesn’t stop here, either. He would then flirt with the idea of moving up in weight once again and challenge UFC GOAT Jon Jones for the heavyweight title.
UFC CEO Dana White would put a pin on that fight at the time. But if ‘Poatan‘ is successful in defending the 205 lbs title at UFC 313 this weekend, there’s a district change, he could be taking Jones to prom before the end of this year.
Pereira on the verge of true greatness
Should he win against Ankalaev, Pereira will have broken a decade-old record set by Jones himself. Back in 2011, Jones defeated Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort in just 364 days. This included one title win and 3 successful defenses.
Tomorrow, Pereira will have the opportunity to do so in just 329 days.
It will be easier said than done as analysts believe Ankalev will be the champion’s toughest test to date in the promotion.
Even though the Dagestani challenger is no maverick in the grappling department like his countrymen in the promotion, his abilities on the ground still surpass anybody Pereira has faced yet.
How Pereira performs tomorrow could also be a precursor to what might happen should a match with Jones be finalized by the UFC. Jones is a far more accomplished wrestler and grappler with a history of reigning over three generations of UFC champions.
So, if Pereira truly wants to go for the elusive third title, he must show the UFC that he can hang in there against a grappler with some degree of excellence.
