A potential showdown between Jon Jones and Alex Pereira might never materialize. Jones, who briefly retired in June, swiftly reversed his decision upon learning of the UFC's plans to host a historic event at the White House next June.
The former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion immediately expressed his desire to headline the gala, eyeing a mega-clash with Alex Pereira, also a two-division titleholder. The idea of this matchup proved so compelling that Pereira repeatedly stated his preference to face Jones. However, the Brazilian recently revealed he doesn't expect to participate in the UFC's White House event.
While fight arrangements for that particular event aren't expected to begin until February, Jones is losing hope not only of fighting there but of ever seeing Pereira across the Octagon.
“Pereira wants to fight me, but I don’t think Dana White will allow that to happen,” Jones told Red Corner MMA. “It’ll be interesting to see what Dana wants.”
UFC President Dana White has previously voiced reservations about including Jones in such a high-profile event. This stems from numerous past incidents that have derailed his scheduled fights – from positive doping tests to arrests – repeatedly forcing the UFC to alter its plans. These off-cage issues might ultimately prevent Jones from competing at the White House. If that happens, he'll have to decide if it marks the end of his career.
Even without a fight against Jones, Pereira has plenty of options. These include defending his light heavyweight title against a top contender like Carlos Ulberg or moving up to heavyweight, where Tom Aspinall currently reigns as champion. Another potential future opponent for Pereira could be the current UFC middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev, who has often expressed his intention to test himself in the 205-pound division.
Jones certainly likes this idea, having recently spent time with Chimaev and showering him with praise.
“I think Khamzat Chimaev can win in any weight class,” Jones said. “I believe he’s one of the best fighters on the planet right now. He’s big enough to compete with the heavyweights, but also small enough to cut weight. I think he’d be great at welterweight too. I’d love to see him at light heavyweight. I think he’d do great against guys like Pereira and Ankalaev,” Jones added.