Many believe that if Alex
Pereira moved up in weight again, he would be successful, but
no one is more confident in his skills than his manager.
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Ahead of UFC 301, manager Jorge “Joinha” Guimaraes spoke to Sherdog
about the future of his fighter,
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion
Pereira. While some expect that the next challenge for “Poatan”
will be Russian wrestler Magomed
Ankalaev, Guimaraes threw some cold water on that potential
pairing, while discussing additional options including a potential
shift in weight for the 205-pound king.
“Not necessarily it will be Ankalaev,” Guimaraes noted. “I don’t
think Ankalaev moves the needle, but whatever they bring, I think
Alex is ready for anything. He doesn’t choose opponents.”
If Ankalaev is indeed the next contender for the throne, the
manager of “Poatan” expresses the utmost of confidence in his
client.
“Ankalaev would have a hard time [taking] him down. I think
Ankalaev would be knocked out 100%,” Guimaraes boasted.
After his win at UFC 300, Pereira floated the idea of moving up to
heavyweight to challenge for another belt. While injuries prevented
him from returning at UFC 301, he still has interest in going up in
weight.
“He wants to go up [to heavyweight] and he is gonna give a lot of
trouble to the heavy guys. At this moment, I think it would be
impossible for [Jon Jones to
beat ‘Poatan,’” the manager concluded.