Joe Rogan name drops potential surprise opponent for UFC champ Alex Pereira

Joe Rogan has been hearing some rumors regarding Alex Pereira’s next fight.

Pereira is the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, but it appears his interest is in a heavyweight showdown. “Poatan” had been pounding the table for a dream fight against Jon Jones at the UFC White House event. That hope may have been dashed, as Pereira recently claimed he will not be fighting on the card.

During a recent edition of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan said there’s an interesting rumor for Pereira’s next fight (via MMAJunkie).

“There’s a lot of chatter about him fighting in the heavyweight division now,” Rogan said of Pereira on a recent episode of his “Joe Rogan Experience.” “There’s a lot of chatter about him perhaps even fighting Ciryl Gane. I don’t know how much is true, I haven’t talked to Dana (White) about it. But it’s not an illogical move.

“He’s 240 pounds right now, 240 plus. Make no mistake about it, that guy can knock out heavyweights. No doubt about it. He hits harder than anyone they’ve ever recorded.”

Pereira regained the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship after stopping Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch back in October. After the fight, “Poatan” led a moment of silence in honor of Jones’ late brother Arthur Jones, who was a former NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens. During the post-fight press conference, Pereira admitted that his initial plan was to call “Bones” out before news of Arthur’s passing surfaced.

UFC CEO Dana White told reporters that he preferred if Pereira stood at 205 pounds to handle some unfinished business. Still, White didn’t exactly rule out “Poatan’s” desire to fight at heavyweight, given how many times the light heavyweight champion stepped up when UFC needed him.

BJPenn.com will keep you updated on what’s next for Pereira once more details are available.