Alex Pereira, an enormous middleweight with great potential, may soon vacate his position at 185 pounds. Following his defeat by Israel Adesanya at UFC 287, UFC President Dana White hinted that Pereira may move up to light heavyweight where he will not have to make significant weight cuts.

According to White, Pereira is capable of ‘monstrous’ performances, and this is why he will transition into the 205-pound division. In the recent fight, Pereira rushed in towards Adesanya and got caught. Though this technique had previously worked when he stopped Adesanya in the fifth at UFC 281, this time, Adesanya was well prepared and delivered excellent counter punches.

Pereira was knocked unconscious in the early stages of the second round- his first loss to Adesanya following the previous kickboxing and UFC 281 losses to him. According to reports, Pereira had weight-cutting problems throughout his career, and this issue resurfaced during the official weigh-ins for UFC 287.

Apparently, Pereira still had two pounds to cut before the weigh-ins, an hour before they began. While it cannot be ascertained if Pereira will make the transition, his trainer, Glover Teixeira, who once held the light heavyweight championship, has hinted that the move is imminent. However, Pereira was absent at the post-fight press conference, making it impossible to confirm his plans.

Adesanya, the 33-year-old champion, was evasive about his future efforts following UFC 287, as he fell short in his attempt to win the light heavyweight championship against Jan Blachowicz, who subsequently invited him to try again.

Though Adesanya showed no inclination towards an immediate rematch, he had some advice for Pereira. The latter should move to the 205-pound division and ‘raise hell’ there, thereby asserting his dominance in that new weight class.

Given the significant weight-cutting issues that Pereira has had, it is clear that his move to the light heavyweight division is backed by sound reasoning. White and his coach believe that he has what it takes to excel in this weight class, and if he manages to harness his potential, then a bright future awaits him. While Adesanya may be cautious about taking on Pereira for