In an era of title bouts that seem to be booked simply because a card needs a headliner, the UFC 313 main event stands out.
Alex Pereira is unlike any other UFC superstar at the moment. “Poatan” is a stoic Brazilian who has shot to international fame despite not speaking a lick of English (at least publicly). Having been brought into the promotion as a foil for Israel Adesanya based on the pair’s kickboxing rivalry, Pereira has actually eclipsed his former foe, claiming belts in two weight classes, and ensuring himself a spot in the company’s Hall of Fame somewhere along the line.
His kickboxing pedigree, combined with his success in MMA, have proven Alex Pereira to be more that just a big name in MMA. And the wider combat sports world has begun to tkae notice.
At UFC 313, Pereira has been paired up with Magomed Ankalaev, in a clash of styles that will determine whether wrestling is truly Pereira’s kryptonite. Thus far, Pereira’s takedown defense has held up when tested, but it hasn’t been tested often. And certainly not by a fighter with the wrestling prowess of the Dagestani.
It’s a common MMA storyline: striker versus grappler, title on the line. Yet there is more than a title on the line at UFC 313. For Alex Pereira, what is truly on the line is the chance to elevate himself even from other champions.
Having won gold (then lost it) at middleweight across two fights with Israel Adesanya, to then go on and conquer the light heavyweight division, Pereira is already in rare company. As a double champ (albeit not a simultaneous one), he stands alongside the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones, among others. And that Jones name could be where Pereira lands next: Bones has said he wants a super-fight with Pereira. For his part, Pereira has expressed interest in a heavyweight move, which would give him a chance to become the UFC’s first ever three-weight class champion.
All of a sudden, the stakes at UFC 313 are that much higher. While UFC CEO and President Dana White has been steadfast in pushing for Jones versus Tom Aspinall, a very deserving interim champ, Pereira with an explosive victory on Saturday might just sway the notoriously stubborn promoter.
Then there’s Dricus Du Plessis. Whether Pereira would make the cut back to middleweight, or welcome the South African to light heavyweight, there’s interest on that front as well. Du Plessis’s name doesn’t have the shine of Jon Jones, but he’s a defending champion, and let’s be honest: at light heavyweight, Alex Pereira has all but cleaned out the division.
This is not the light heavyweight scene that once dominated the UFC. In the Jon Jones era, it seemed as if qualified contenders would pop up every other month. But the likes of Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, Alexander Gustafsson, and Daniel Cormier are long gone, either retired or fighting for other organizations. Past Ankalaev, Carlos Ulberg is the most deserving contender at the moment, ranked #6. There’s a marketable storyline there, with Ulberg training alongside Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing, and coming from a kickboxing background himself.
Ulberg, however, has time. The type of super-fights Alex Pereira could see come his way with a win at UFC 313 have a short window. The UFC has dragged its heels before, which is part of the reason why Georges St-Pierre versus Anderson Silva never happened.
Then there’s the elephant in the room: Oleksandr Usyk, and the prospect of Alex Pereira taking a boxing match. Conor McGregor did it, competing in one of the biggest-selling PPVs of all time. The UFC notoriously refused to let Francis Ngannou do the same, which helped facilitate his exit from the promotion. Would they budge for Pereira, who proved in 2024 to be the consummate company man? And if they refused, might Pereira, like Ngannou before him, move on?
Unlike McGregor and Ngannou, after all, Alex Pereira is not an “MMA guy.” He’s a kickboxer who made the transition and shot to heights that frankly were not expected of him. He may not have the loyalty to the sport, or promotion, that others with his lot might. If a big payday in boxing beckons, he may see value in walking away from mixed martial arts.
Of course, with Dana White getting into the boxing business, perhaps the winds have changed.
Before any of that can happen, however, it all rests on the line in the UFC 313 main event.
