Bombshell reveal: Alex Pereira announces jaw-dropping target weight for UFC White House
· Yahoo Sports
Alex Pereira has changed his body ahead of his fight to make history on June 14.
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The former UFC light heavyweight and middleweight champion is set to be one of the main attractions when he steps out on the White House lawn later this month.
Pereira is going up against Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt in the co-main event, giving him a chance to become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion.
Most ex-middleweights would find it hard to put on enough size to compete for a heavyweight title, but that’s not something the Brazilian seems worried about.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCPereira expects to weigh more than 240 pounds for the heavyweight bout at UFC White House
Pereira has come a long way since his days at middleweight, where he knocked out both Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya in 2022 to claim the title.
After suffering a knockout defeat in their rematch, he moved up to light heavyweight, where he quickly made an impact and went on to hold the belt.
His time at 205 pounds included three successful title defences, one of which was a memorable knockout win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.
Following that win, Pereira got his revenge against Magomed Ankalaev before making the move up. He’s said it felt like a natural step after outgrowing another division.
“I was a very heavy middleweight, and I was feeling it,” Pereira told New York Post Sports. “Now I’m walking around like 113 (kilograms). And I was eating even more when I was at middleweight. At some point, it just becomes natural, your natural weight, and this is how I’m feeling right now.”
Pereira wants to manage his weight carefully heading into the Gane fight. “I don’t want to be too heavy,” he continued. “That’s why we’re going through a lot of protocol for that, a lot of planning.”
“I want to be about 110 kilograms (242 pounds).”
Some have already suggested that Pereira won’t truly be the first three-division champion unless he beats Gane and goes on to unify the titles against Tom Aspinall.
The winner of Gane vs Pereira will face Aspinall later this year. The Englishman is currently recovering from double eye surgery and is expected back soon.
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