UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira previously expressed interest in training with heavyweight champion Jon Jones before Jones’ title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. However, Pereira now seems to believe this is no longer the best course of action.
Pereira is scheduled to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in Las Vegas this Saturday. When asked if he still wished to train with Jones, Pereira explained his change of heart.
“To be honest, it doesn’t make as much sense to me anymore,” Pereira said via a Portuguese translator in an interview with Bloody Elbow. “When I first mentioned potentially fighting at heavyweight, people immediately connected the dots to Jon Jones. It’s become a speculated matchup, at least among the fans.
“Therefore, training with him now doesn’t seem wise. If we were to eventually fight, people would read too much into any training sessions. It just wouldn’t be sensible now. However, if we were to fight one day, then training together afterward would make perfect sense.”
Jones’ future plans remain uncertain after his dominant victory over Miocic last November. Jones has been calling for a champion versus champion fight with Pereira for months. However, UFC CEO Dana White and many fans would prefer to see Jones unify the heavyweight title against interim champion and top contender Tom Aspinall.
Pereira hopes to witness that potential fight firsthand.
“I won’t be specifically studying their fight, but I will be watching it closely,” Pereira stated. “Any heavyweight fight is exciting, especially one between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. It’s a very exciting matchup, and I’ll be watching as a fan.”
