Alex Pereira recently posted a cryptic message, causing many to believe he might pursue his third belt at UFC 300. However, the light heavyweight champ dismissed the idea, saying the message is just a “dream” he wanted fans to translate.
Before Christmas, “Poatan” shared a simple post on social media: “30 + 300 = 3.” This started speculations that the Brazilian fighter might be hinting at participating in the huge UFC 300 event of the promotion in April. The main highlight of the rumors, nonetheless, is the belief that Pereira might finally make his entrance into the heavyweight division to achieve his third title in a new class weight.
Fans believe Pereira would face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, whom UFC CEO Dana White approves of defending the interim belt as Jon Jones remains absent in the division. So far, the UFC has only confirmed three bouts in the event, giving speculating fans the hope about Pereira’s part in the event.
However, negated the idea, claiming the numbers were just part of his recent dream.
“I had a dream – it was 30 plus 300 is equal to three, and I got confused on all those numbers,” Pereira shared on TheMacLife. “I tossed it on there to see if people could help figure out the equation. Like the other day I had a dream about some numbers, and I played a raffle in Brazil and won a motorcycle. Then two months later, it was actually real. I had another one, and I put some more numbers and won another motorcycle. So I’m like, ‘You know what? Post this for the fans and see if they can help figure it out.’ I had 30 plus 300 is equal to three. We’re all trying to figure it out, too.”
Despite this, Pereira is open to the idea of trying the heavyweight. Yet, as the fighter explained, it would require some preparations.
“I fought at middleweight, and I had to reset my body to go up to fighting at light heavyweight,” Pereira said. “I’m a fighter. I’ll fight anybody, anywhere. I have the height and the size of a heavyweight, but this is a thing that’s got to be programmed, put some work in. It’s not just something I jump in on. I want to make things the right way. I can definitely fight at heavyweight, maybe someday in the future. But it’s got to be something that’s well-planned. So right now, I’m focused on my light heavyweight reign.”
Earlier this month, Glover Teixeira, Pereira’s coach, also shared the possibility of the fighter trying the division. According to the retired fighter, Poatan is a “disciplined professional” capable of efficiently handling weight adjustments. Yet, for Pereira, this move won’t happen anytime soon. In his recent interview in France, the timeline on when it will happen depends on what weight his body will need.
“It’s not my plan, actually, at the moment,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “I just went to a higher weight division, and I feel very good in it. I just won the belt, so it shows I did something right, so I’m at the moment a light heavyweight.
“I’m not a heavyweight, and if my body calls me one day because I’m 36 years old now, my training changed a little bit, like the last three years, my body changed a lot because of different training, not only kickboxing, as well a ground game, right? So my body changed. If my body will change more and my body will say, ‘Man, you can’t fight anymore at light heavyweight,’ OK, I will go up. But it’s not the plan at the moment.”
