WASHINGTON – Alex Pereira wants to hit the highest heights possible, but will let others decide how elevated he is compared to those who came before him.
At UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has the opportunity to claim an unprecedented third UFC title. Already having held the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight straps, Pereira will become interim heavyweight champion should he defeat Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the co-main event at the White House.
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“It’s historical, something unprecedented,” Pereira told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “It’s something that has never been done before. Ever since I got scheduled for this fight, when this fight was announced, I’ve been envisioning and thinking and seeing everything that I’ve been through in my life and everything I’ve been able to accomplish. I’m just happy to do something like this and just accomplish that.”
Should he win Sunday, Pereira enters an exclusive class of fighters frequented in public discourse as being the best of all time. UFC CEO Dana White, a stalwart advocate for Jon Jones being in that position, has even said he’ll change his pick to Pereira should he win.
However, Pereira is brushing all of that talk aside. To him, opinions are like… well, you know.
“I can’t say it because I didn’t follow everyone in the sport, the greatest of all time,” Pereira said. “People say it. The people who follow the sport, the people who cover the sport have been saying that. There are a lot of different opinions. But there’s a guy. Dana is the one who said it. Even so, there are other people who have opinions. Either/or, what people are saying, it’s good to belong in that category.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: One win until UFC GOAT status? Alex Pereira letting others determine
