After UFC 313, Daniel Cormier doesn’t think heavyweight would’ve been a good idea for Alex Pereira.
Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Had Pereira won, many speculated a move up to heavyweight to chase a third UFC title would have been next. However, after Cormier saw Ankalaev push Pereira against the fence and take his best shots, he questions whether “Poatan” would have had success competing up another division.
“When we watched Saturday and watched him and Ankalaev fight, it gives me the idea that he has kind of maxed out the weight he can go up,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Sonnen. “I don’t think he is strong enough to deal with anyone bigger.
“The amount of pressure Ankalaev was able to generate without the danger coming back at him like we expected, those heavyweights will walk right through what he was throwing at him.”
For now, it appears heavyweight is off the table for Pereira after UFC CEO Dana White quashed talks of a potential fight against champion Jon Jones. A title fight is likely next for Pereira, though, as the promotion is gearing toward an immediate rematch with Ankalaev.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.
