UFC president Dana White said that Alex Pereira can become the GOAT, the greatest of all time, in MMA if he wins at UFC Freedom 250.
Pereira is the former UFC middleweight and UFC light heavyweight champion. Next Sunday at UFC Freedom 250, he takes on Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title.
If Pereira is victorious, he would become the first three-division champion in UFC history. And if that’s the case, then White believes that Pereira will surpass Jon Jones as MMA’s GOAT.
Dana White Explains How Alex Pereira Can Become GOAT at UFC Freedom 250
Speaking to Forbes ahead of the big UFC White House card, the UFC president said that Pereira will jump past Jones and become MMA’s GOAT if he beats Gane and wins a belt in a third UFC weight class.
“You got Pereira possibly winning his third world title. If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all time,” White said.
This is a big statement from White, who has always maintained that Jones is the greatest mixed martial artist to walk the face of the Earth. But if Pereira goes in there and beats Gane to set a UFC record with three different divisional championships, then White thinks it’s enough for him to surpass Jones as the sport’s GOAT.
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane Betting Odds
According to the most recent betting odds for Pereira vs. Gane, the Brazilian is now a slight -105 underdog, with Gane at -115.
It’s a very difficult fight to call, hence why these betting odds are so close. In fact, it was just yesterday that Pereira was a slight favorite to win. But after Gane said he may try to implement a wrestling-heavy game plan against Pereira, Gane has now overtaken Pereira as a small favorite.
If this fight remains on the feet, then Pereira is going to have a chance to land a bomb and knock Gane out. But if the fight goes to the ground, it gives Gane a big edge, as he is the superior grappler and submission artist.
It all goes to say that Pereira is going to have to really work for this win, as nothing is being given to him at UFC Freedom 250. For him to make history and become the first three-division champion in UFC history, he is going to have to take out one of the best heavyweights in MMA, Gane, and that will not be easy to do.
But if he can pull it off, then Pereira will be sitting pretty, as not only will he be a three-division UFC champion, but White will start promoting him as the GOAT of mixed martial arts.
Will Pereira pull it off? We’ll find out next Sunday at UFC Freedom 250 when Pereira meets Gane in the co-main event with the interim UFC heavyweight title on the line. It all goes down at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+, so don’t miss out on this epic fight.
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