If Dana White is to try his hand in the world of boxing promotion, his light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira wants a piece of the action.
White confirmed during a recent visit to Dublin, Ireland to watch Cork boxer Callum Walsh extend his unbeaten record in a show that was broadcast on UFC Fight Pass that, after years of teasing it, he will finally and officially enter the sometimes murky world of professional boxing, likely beginning in 2025.
While the UFC boss has remained mostly tight-lipped as to the specifics of his venture, the move has attracted the attention of quite a few fighters on contrasting codes of combat sports — and one of those is Alex Pereira, the UFC light heavyweight champion who entered the promotion less than three years ago after scoring world titles in two divisions in GLORY Kickboxing.
“I feel very good about this,” Pereira told reporter Kevin Iole through a translator of Dana White’s move into boxing, and whether or not he might become a part of it.
“I like boxing, I’ve wanted to fight boxing and I’ve been saying this for a while. I’m going to release video footage of me sparring the next heavyweight boxer in Brazil, it was a few years ago the video, but I believe I am much better at that game now.”
You can watch that footage below.
However, Pereira’s translator confirmed that no formal talks whatsoever have been held as to him testing his hand in the boxing ring.
“Dana White made the announcement, but to be honest, nothing was discussed between us and the organisation. But Alex feels this partnership is going to start with him,” he said.
But before any of that can become a reality, Pereira has his plate full at this weekend’s UFC 307 from Salt Lake City in Utah where he will defend his light heavyweight title against the dangerous striker Khalil Rountree.
Source : TheMacLife