Replace: Together with his fourth-round defeat of Khalil Rountree through TKO at UFC 307, Alex Pereira accomplished step considered one of my eight-part plan for him to seize a 3rd UFC title and turn into a fight sports activities GOAT. However that’s not all he set in movement. He additionally answered questions on deficiencies in his sport that triggered me to doubt how nicely he’d do in opposition to Tom Aspinall, he stated what I hoped he would when requested about combating Dricus Du Plessis, and backstage, he instructed Megan Olivi he’d do one thing that works completely for my fan-theorized scheme.
He even received over the good Chael P. Sonnen, who thinks Pereira is maybe barely forward of the totally made-up schedule I’ve laid out for him. “He’s utterly one-dimensional for a GOAT,” Sonnen stated on ESPN’s post-show following Poatan’s victory. “I imply, it’s simply kickboxing, it’s simply standup. There’s no groundwork, there’s by no means been a takedown, there’s by no means been a protection of a submission, there’s by no means been a submission thrown up—and he simply could be the GOAT. He has revolutionized the game.”
Learn on to see how MMA’s most dominant kickboxing specialist can take his abilities to heavyweight and attain one thing most of us, myself and Sonnen included, are simply now realizing is feasible.
There are some attention-grabbing factors of comparability when contemplating the rise of Alex Pereira. For one, his stardom is clear to the thousands and thousands who’ve constructed it, quite than one thing followers have to be satisfied of, not like the supposed reputation of the Sphere-headlining Sean O’Malley. Furthermore, he’s maintained a McGregor-esque ascent whereas avoiding comparable controversies, escaped the shadow of Israel Adesanya with out stooping to his stage of immaturity, and turn into probably the most beloved Brazilian fighter this facet of José Aldo—all whereas making himself a two-division champion in a fight sport for the second time, having first executed so in Glory Kickboxing earlier than his transfer to MMA.
Granted, when followers and pundits cease speaking star energy and begin discussing GOAT instances, arguments may be made for a lot of different fighters forward of Pereira. Pioneers like Anderson Silva can dangle their hats on historical past, the Demetrius Johnsons of the world can level to their dominance, and Jon Jones has his unbeaten streak on his facet (and Dana White). After duplicating his kickboxing success in a second sport, Alex Pereira has one factor left to do to earlier than he may be included amongst these greats: He has to maneuver to heavyweight and turn into the UFC’s first three-division champion.
Because the Mild Heavyweight Champion prepares to defend his gold at UFC 307 in opposition to Khalil Rountree, learn on as I look previous his opponent, maybe committing a cardinal fight sport sin within the course of, and plot Poatan’s potential street to heavyweight glory.
Replace: Admittedly, this battle didn’t end result within the one-way site visitors or one-punch knockout I assumed it could. However by way of GOAT resume-building, it might have yielded a extra useful final result. After shedding the primary two rounds to the challenger, Pereira confirmed poise, persistence, and championship mettle as he systematically broke his less-experienced opponent down.
He turned extra defensive as he was pressured to respect Rountree’s velocity and energy. He stayed calm as soon as he had him damage, maybe studying from when Israel Adesanya performed possum and knocked him out with a peek-a-boo counter in Miami. And, possibly most impressively, he obtained the TKO by constant accuracy when Rountree stood tall and weathered his hardest energy punches.
Although Rountree’s brave efficiency was the kind of displaying that’d make followers out of spectators, Poatan’s adjustment to adversity produced the type of win that makes GOATs out of champions.
All through the build-up to this battle, Khalil Rountree has repeated some model of the well-known final phrases uttered by most of Alex Pereira’s opponents. Like Sean Strickland, Jamahal Hill, and, to an extent, Jiří Procházka earlier than him, Rountree intends to have a kickboxing match with probably the most harmful kickboxer on the planet. This together with Rountree’s considerably star-less resume looks like a recipe for one thing extra dependable than a home-cooked meal at mama’s home—a devastating left hook that’ll put the contender’s lights out.
Replace: When requested about what his plans are following his third mild heavyweight title protection, Pereira stated one thing by his translator in the octagon that gave the impression of music to my ears. “We noticed that Dricus goes to be combating Sean Strickland. He’s a coaching accomplice of mine. I don’t wish to get in his manner.”
Good. No notes. Glad you’ve put that foolish concept to mattress, large man.
After making fast work of Rountree, the subsequent step on Alex Pereira’s path to a 3rd belt is ignoring Dricus Du Plessis altogether.
We get it. The man has an especially punchable face and looks like the most beatable champion on the roster—though his wins over Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, and Israel Adesanya needs to be causes to second-guess that notion. However regardless of how assured Pereira could really feel about his possibilities in opposition to the middleweight champ, if he goals to create an iron-clad MMA legacy, moving back down to 185 would actually and figuratively be a regression. He’s received that belt already. Profitable it once more can be principally meaningless.
So far as retreads are involved, Pereira ought to solely be wanting in his rearview to get a glimpse at one man.
Earlier than getting his topknot kicked crooked at UFC 303, Jiří Procházka accused Pereira of utilizing “magic” and “spells” to win their earlier battle, which is as hilarious as it’s weird. However on the off likelihood that it’s true, Pereira’s GOAT resume may gain advantage from a spell that grants Izzy the braveness to present 205 a second likelihood.
In 2021, following a choice loss in his debut mild heavyweight bout in opposition to then-champion Jan Błachowicz, Adesanya spoke considered one of his favourite idioms: “Dare to be nice.” It’s a saying he’s repeated since, typically adopted by an affirmation: “And I’m.” He stated this at a time in his profession when language was his personal form of magic, a narrativizing power so highly effective it’d flip the world right into a manga web page and bend future into the form of the anime arc in his head. Someplace alongside the best way, although, even perhaps earlier than getting beat up by Strickland and choked out by DDP, Adesanya stopped daring to be nice and now prefers to imagine he already is.
Given the “final aim wins” perspective he’s taken after lastly defeating Pereira in his fourth attempt in two sports activities, it’s clear, no less than to me, what’s stopping the 2 from finishing their MMA trilogy: Adesanya needs no components of Poatan’s full energy at mild heavyweight. Regardless of being visibly extra muscular than he was the primary time he moved up, having completely no attention-grabbing matchups left for him at middleweight, and probably having a greater likelihood in opposition to a striker at 205 than he did in opposition to a wrestler like Błachowicz, the previous champion appears content material avoiding one other battle along with his nemesis. In flip, this makes each of their claims to greatness appear barely much less daring.
Positive, Pereira’s transfer to heavyweight might and may occur with or with out an MMA tie-breaker with Adesanya. However think about how far more particular it’d be if it got here after an historic Brazilian ritual granted Izzy his former spirit and compelled him to finish the best UFC rivalry within the fashionable period.
This one is fairly self-explanatory. To ensure that Pereira’s transfer to heavyweight to indicate what I believe it might, it should observe what’d be his most significant title protection at mild heavyweight: One other decisive stoppage over Adesanya.
Ought to Izzy discover the braveness to as soon as once more bang with the large boys, I solely see it going a technique if the person who’s crushed him three out of 4 instances is standing on the opposite facet of the cage.
If GOAT instances are constructed on a mixture of narrative and accomplishments, then a 3rd belt for Alex Pereira can be barely diminished if it got here with out him getting an opportunity at a rubber match along with his biggest foe. Whereas the previous can be the extra spectacular accolade, the latter is important to each males’s tales as fighters.
Paradoxically, it might be argued Pereira-Adesanya 3 (or 5) is much extra essential to every athlete’s resume than the legacy battle followers are being force-fed in November.
I don’t assume I’m breaking any information by saying only a few individuals are involved in seeing Jon Jones battle Stipe Miocic in what’ll seemingly be a retirement battle for each males. Not like what I’m suggesting with one other battle between Pereira and Adesanya, there’s no drama, no intrigue, and in the end no which means within the upcoming heavyweight championship bout. Miocic has successfully been retired since 2021 and hasn’t received a battle since 2020, and Jones is ducking Tom Aspinall extra flagrantly than Izzy is ducking Poatan, which is saying one thing.
In an ideal world, this step can be referred to as “Beat Jon Jones,” as that’d maybe put Pereira in GOAT rivalry with or and not using a heavyweight belt round his waist. However that may’t occur as a result of Jones is intent on ending his profession dealing with a 42-year-old coming off a vicious knockout and an interminable layoff. So, as an alternative, all Pereira has to do upon his arrival at heavyweight is sit again and await the subsequent undisputed king of the division.
Replace: Whereas I nonetheless consider Tom Aspinall’s mixture of measurement and athleticism would show an excessive amount of for Pereira, the Mild Heavyweight Champion proved in opposition to Roundtree he’s in a position to modify nicely when dealing with somebody who possesses each energy and velocity. There’s no telling what is going to occur as soon as Aspinall takes the battle to the bottom, however after UFC 307, I’m much less anxious about what he’d do to Pereira on the toes. But, for this GOAT factor to go the best way I would like it to, I’d quite not discover out for sure.
A part of what’s so unlucky about Pereira not attending to battle Jones is I don’t assume he can beat Tom Aspinall. The Interim Heavyweight Champion has a mixture of measurement and athleticism that the Brazilian hasn’t needed to face at 185 or 205, plus he has youth on his facet.
I do know what you’re pondering: “You’re saying Alex Pereira has a greater likelihood in opposition to Jon Jones than Tom Aspinall?!” Sure, that’s precisely what I’m saying. As a result of regardless of remaining unbeaten, Jones ended his run at 205 on a visual decline and is now returning to heavyweight following a catastrophic harm. Tom Aspinall is the way more harmful opponent as we speak, given these circumstances.
A win over Aspinall wouldn’t be unattainable, particularly with Pereira’s one-punch energy and Tom’s delicate defensive recklessness on the toes. But when we’re plotting a path to Poatan’s third belt within the UFC, there are simpler roads to get there that don’t undergo the UK.
Replace: Backstage, Pereira told Megan Olivi he intends to take time to relaxation after defending his belt thrice already this yr and finishing a very grueling coaching camp for UFC 307. This seems like an ideal excuse to take a seat again and anticipate the heavyweight division to supply a extra beatable champion.
With out Jon Jones within the image, the pickings at heavyweight shall be so slim that the primary fighter to problem Aspinall’s eventual undisputed gold will seemingly be both a person he’s already crushed or a person who simply misplaced a title shot two fights in the past. This bodes nicely for Alex Pereira so far as his hopes for a belt in a 3rd division are involved.
Do I believe Alexander Volkov or Ciryl Gane stand an opportunity in opposition to Tom Aspinall? Not likely, no. However let’s face it, like different greats earlier than him, part of what has helped Alex Pereira’s MMA resume has been accruing favorable matchups. A sensible roadmap for him to appreciate three-division glory must embrace a lesser heavyweight than Aspinall. So, whether or not the Englishman slips on a banana peel, catches a chilly, or comes down with a severe case of the yips, in my thoughts, he should relinquish his belt to both Volkov or Gane earlier than Pereira will get a crack at it.
Would this make a heavyweight title for Pereira much less spectacular? Provided that you discovered comparable causes to decrease his championships at middleweight and light-weight heavyweight. Fortunately for me, I’m not that boring. However in case you are, even after turning into the UFC’s first three-division champion, Alex Pereira will seemingly have to finish yet another step earlier than being thought of a fight sports activities GOAT.
Which is…
Regardless of capturing belts throughout three totally different weight courses on this totally made-up fantasy of mine, clearly, legally turning into Jon Jones is the one manner Alex Pereira can cement himself because the pound-for-pound king. Although this isn’t in any respect the identical factor as being the GOAT (it doesn’t matter what Dana White says), the privilege of merely being Jon Jones appears to go a good distance when discussing the greatness of present opponents—inactivity, blatant ducking, and deserving challengers be damned.
Fact be instructed, the idea of a GOAT itself is as contrived as this state of affairs I’ve laid out. It’s all cherry-picked stats and storytelling. Nothing proves this greater than Dana White’s unwavering devotion to Jon Jones. However to me, that’s what makes sports activities so compelling: the pure drama that happens as opponents and spectators alike try and make narrative sense out of wins and losses. It’s a pleasure to witness an athlete like Pereira faucet into such genuine gladiatorial theater, particularly at a time when hype trains are promoted to followers so relentlessly the entire thing begins to really feel like professional wrestling.
My solely worry is that wanting previous Pereira’s present act with Rountree could interrupt the present and are available again to hang-out me. However solely time will inform.
Replace: Time instructed, child, and I stay un-haunted. AND STILL.
