UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira previously mentioned his desire to train with Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones before Jones’ fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. However, Pereira now believes this might not be the best course of action.
Pereira is preparing to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 this Saturday in Las Vegas. When asked if he still wanted to train with Jones, Pereira explained his change of heart.
“To be honest, it doesn’t seem as sensible anymore,” Pereira stated. “When I first expressed interest in fighting at heavyweight, people immediately linked it to Jon Jones. This potential matchup is being discussed, at least among fans.”
“Therefore, training with him now, especially with a potential fight on the horizon, could lead to unnecessary speculation and commentary. It doesn’t feel right at this moment. However, if we were to fight someday, training together afterwards would make perfect sense,” he added.
Jon Jones’ future plans remain uncertain after his victory over Miocic last November. Jones has called out Pereira for a champion versus champion fight for months. Nevertheless, many fans and UFC CEO Dana White would prefer to see Jones unify the heavyweight title against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Pereira is interested in watching this potential heavyweight unification fight closely.
“I won’t be specifically studying the fight, but I will be watching attentively,” Pereira said. “Any heavyweight fight is inherently exciting, and a matchup between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall is particularly thrilling. I’ll be watching as a fan.”
