Although the thrill of witnessing a triple champ enticed many to root for Alex Pereira to move up to heavyweight, UFC legend Randy Couture believes the Brazilian still has a lot to prove before taking on Jon Jones. In a short span of three years, Pereira has achieved more in the UFC than most have in a lifetime. He made his debut in November 2021 and is potentially within reach of being the first person to become a champion in three weight classes. Yet, if Pereira wants to take Couture’s advice, he should put on the breaks for now.
The former two-division world champion recently sat down for an interview on the ‘InsideFighting’ YouTube channel. During their conversation, the host asked Couture who he thinks has the best chance of beating Jones right now in the UFC. To this Couture claimed that Stipe Miocic might have the best chance because of his immense experience, The legend even took Tom Aspinall’s name, claiming Jones might find it difficult to deal with the Brit’s raw energy. However, when the discussion turned to Pereira, Couture said,
“Pereira has some things to prove, moving up is no easy task. There are still some questions there. He certainly has all the abilities in the world and he’s a hell of a competitor.”
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The Brazillian’s brilliance cannot be underestimated, as he has been a champion in two different weight classes be it in MMA or Kickboxing. Still, Couture insisted that moving up in weight is a whole new ball game when compared to cutting weight and going down a weight class. Therefore, Pereira will have to prove that he can compete at heavyweight before dreaming of a potential fight against Jones.
Is Jones vs Pereira a realistic fight?
Arguably, Jones vs Pereira is the biggest fight that can be made in the UFC right now that does not involve Conor McGregor. However, from the way things stand at present, such a fight might not materialize anytime soon. For starters, Jones recently found himself on the wrong side of the law following recent misdemeanor charges.
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In addition to this, if the Rochester native secures a win against Miocic he will have to fight Aspinall next, provided ‘Honey Badger’ secures a win over Curtis Blaydes. Hence, there are too many moving pieces in play at the moment for a fight between Jones and Pereira to materialize immediately. However, it could definitely be a possibility in the future if Jones chooses not to bid his final goodbye to the UFC.
