Alex Pereira responds to Jon Jones fight suggestion

Alex Pereira admits he was caught off guard Friday morning because the telephone notifications rolled in.

Throughout a UFC 301 combat week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that he gained’t compete on, the promotion’s gentle heavyweight champion Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) the focal point as soon as once more due to a series of tweets by UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

“Yeah, it caught me without warning, particularly after I noticed the primary message. I didn’t actually anticipate to see that this morning. I do know we’ve been doing an excellent job. There’s all this hype round me proper now. I spoke about going as much as heavyweight to combat on this card. I knew it’d catch some eyes finally. I didn’t anticipate it to be so quick. However I used to be very honored and it was a really respectful message, so it was enjoyable.”

As he recovers from a number of surgical procedures, Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) hasn’t expressed curiosity in fights past a pending showdown with Stipe Miocic, proposed a bout vs. Pereira and referred to as it “the most important matchup in MMA historical past.”

Having already gained UFC titles at middleweight and lightweight heavyweight, Pereira has teased a transfer to heavyweight in try to seize an unprecedented third divisional championship.

The largest hurdle has been getting the UFC to log off on the transfer. Pereira thinks the potential superfight might twist the promotional brass members’ arms, nonetheless.

“After I mentioned I want to transfer as much as heavyweight, I used to be very enthusiastic about that,” Pereira mentioned. “However the UFC didn’t appear to eager on that on the time. As soon as I noticed there was no actual curiosity from them on me going up, I spoke with my group, with my managers, and determined to give attention to the burden class that I’m champion in, which is gentle heavyweight. I’m doing excellent there. We form of left heavyweight on the backseat till one thing modified. Now, I suppose a number of curiosity has been generated and we’ve got to see what the promotion desires.

“… He’s on the sidelines for some time and he desires to do one other combat earlier than that. So there may be a number of issues to occur within the meantime and I simply need to be energetic. I simply need to combat. If the UFC desires to inform me, ‘Hey, that is the trail so that you can get that combat at heavyweight,’ so I can change my plans, that works. But when I don’t have something, I want to not stray away from what we’ve got determined. To be enthusiastic about issues and never have them come to fruition can be simply draining for me and for the followers. That’s positively a combat I’d like to do. For me to maneuver as much as heavyweight, I want a while – however not that a lot time as a result of I’m already a giant man. So if they provide me the inexperienced gentle and say, ‘Hey, this combat is going on,’ I’m 100% preparing for it.”

Pereira declined to theorize if he might receive “GOAT” standing with a win over who many take into account to be the best fighter ever in Jones. He spoke with nothing however respect for Jones and mentioned he’d let the all-time energy rankings be decided within the court docket of public opinion.

“That’s the very last thing on my thoughts,” Pereira mentioned. “What I take into consideration that is to be prepared, to be coaching, to maintain profitable titles, and be centered. Every little thing else is for the general public to determine. Regardless of the people who find themselves watching and see my accomplishments there, it’s as much as them to determine if I’m the GOAT or not. That’s not one thing for me to determine. I simply need to be prepared, do my job, and be the most effective fighter I will be.”

“… We’re each professionals. I’ve nothing towards Jon. I respect him so much. We’re each making an attempt to construct one thing. He has a tremendous profession and has constructed so much. I’m constructing so much on my profession as effectively. I believe we might make for a really entertaining matchup for the followers. If this finally ends up taking place, I imagine it’d be improbable. I’d be wanting ahead to it.

Whereas a lot is unsure about what the long run holds, significantly as Jones has a minimum of one combat earlier than a future showdown, Pereira sees some plain truths in regards to the combat proposal: the combat would entice large consideration – and ship.

“We now have the followers. We now have the athletes. We now have the group,” Pereira mentioned. “I really feel if you happen to ask the followers, after all, they’ll be throughout it and overestimated for that combat. There are different athletes within the division that want to maneuver on and all that, so we have to see what’s occurring. If the UFC provides us the inexperienced gentle and so they present curiosity, we are able to make that occur. I’m positive everybody goes to get pleasure from it.”

“… It might be a conflict. It might be a really entertaining showcase for the followers. With all of the expertise and skillset that Jon has, but additionally with all the talents I’ve been rising throughout my MMA profession, all of the preparation I’ve been doing and the enhancements I’m having. I believe it might be a terrific championship (combat) and everybody can be entertained by that.”