Alex Pereira wants to be a simultaneous two-division UFC champion by taking down middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis.
“Poatan” won the 185-pound title in November of 2022 but lost it in a rematch to Israel Adesanya before moving up a division and making his way to the 205-pound gold. Pereira is slated to defend his throne next against Khalil Rountree, but reaffirms his intention to cut extra 20 pounds again after his UFC 307 clash on Oct. 5.
“I’m focused on my next fight and I’m going prepared but you never know what can happen,” Pereira wrote on social media Monday night. “So regardless of the result, I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt. Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me, with your public statement it is easy to make this happen. Chama.”
Pereira first mentioned he was “coming down to 185 one more time” moments after du Plessis’ win over Adesanya on Aug. 17, and the middleweight champion responded by suggesting a light heavyweight match instead. Du Plessis is expected to rematch Sean Strickland in his next title defense at middleweight, but the UFC has yet to officially announce the fight.
Du Plessis has beaten three of the past four middleweight champions in Adesanya, Strickland and Robert Whittaker, with Pereira as the one left to face.
“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop down to 185,” du Plessis said at the UFC 305 post-fight press conference. “If he wants to, great, perfect. But then we’re going to hear the excuses. I saw Izzy stiff that man in the first round. I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight. Izzy has great timing, he’s fast, he’s long and he has great combinations, but I felt the power.
“If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be in there with me, especially not when you’ve got to come in there with the excuses, ‘Oh, I cut too much weight.’ That’s going to happen. Everybody’s going to say it.”
