Alex Pereira has sparked excitement among fans in Sydney with a cryptic message hinting at his return to the octagon.
The light-heavyweight champion had a whirlwind 2024, stepping up on short notice twice and defending his title three times with spectacular knockout victories. After his dominant win over Khalil Rountree Jr at UFC 307, Pereira has been taking a well-deserved break from competition.
However, a recent social media post suggests his comeback could be on the horizon, potentially as early as February at UFC 312 in Sydney.
Alex Pereira Teases UFC Return in Cryptic New Year Message to Australian Fans
After taking a few months off to recover from an unexpectedly challenging fight in October, Alex Pereira seems eager to return to action. While staying in the spotlight through various events and viral memes, the Brazilian star has remained committed to high-level training.
Last night, Pereira fuelled speculation of an upcoming fight by sharing a video message for his Australian fans on Instagram. The post has fans buzzing about the possibility of him joining Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland on the UFC pay-per-view card scheduled for February 8th.
In the video Pereira is seen hitting a heavy bag before addressing viewers in Portuguese: “Happy New Year, Australia. I miss you, I hope you’re all well. See you in February, Chama!” He accompanied the post with the caption: “See you soon, Sydney Australia! CHAMA.”
Alex Pereira Teases Middleweight Return, Targets Dricus Du Plessis for Title Fight
While Alex Pereira may not be preparing for a fight of his own at the moment, he could be sizing up a potential future opponent. After losing his middleweight title and moving up to light-heavyweight, it seemed like his time in the division was over.
However, with Dricus Du Plessis now holding the middleweight title, Pereira has hinted at a possible return to the weight class. Following Du Plessis’ victory over Israel Adesanya in July, Pereira teased the idea of a comeback fight stating;
“I’m focused on my next fight and preparing well, but you never know what could happen.”
“So, regardless of the outcome, I want to drop back down to middleweight and go for the belt one more time. Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me and prove that you’re better than me. With your public statements, making this happen will be easy. Chama.”
Dricus Du Plessis Open to Facing Alex Pereira, But Prefers Moving Up for Second Title
For his part, Dricus Du Plessis has shown openness to the idea of facing Alex Pereira, but he’d prefer to move up in weight and challenge for a second world title. He believes that fighting in a higher division would eliminate any potential excuses from opponents about weight cuts, noting how physically imposing Pereira is.
“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop back down to 185,” Du Plessis said after his victory over Israel Adesanya. “If he wants to, great. But then we’re going to hear all the excuses. I saw Izzy stun him in the first round.”
Du Plessis would continue, sharing his thoughts on Adesanya’s power when he said;
“I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight. He has great timing, speed, length, and combination work, but I definitely felt the power.”
“If Izzy can stiffen you like that, you don’t want to be in there with me, especially if you come in with excuses like, ‘Oh, I cut too much weight.’ That’s going to be the story. People will say that.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
