Is Tom Aspinall vs. Alex Pereira the dream fight or should 'Poatan' test Magomed Ankalaev? UFC legend stirs the matchmaking pot

A former UFC title challenger recently highlighted a possible fight between Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall, asking netizens about their thoughts on other potential matchups as well. Pereira's pursuit of becoming a three-division champion isn't entirely ruled out, considering the Brazilian's popularity throughout the years.

Pereira wants to make his octagon comeback during the second half of the year as he is aiming to reclaim his 205-pound belt from Magomed Ankalaev. Notably, Pereira and Ankalaev faced each other at UFC 313 earlier this year, which ended in a unanimous decision defeat for the 37-year-old 'Poatan'.

Ahead of Pereira's comeback, UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen took to X and asked the MMA community if they wanted the former two-division champion to face Ankalaev in a rematch or take on Aspinall in a superfight. Sonnen also presented other potential cases like Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane and Jiri Prochazka vs. Ankalaev.

''My son just asked me a question and I promised him I would ask you. You can see, A)Tom vs Cyril & Alex vs Ank OR B) Tom vs Alex & Jiri vs Ank''

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As for Aspinall, he is coming off an opening-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 and was established as the new undisputed heavyweight champion after Jon Jones' retirement last month. The 32-year-old is now expected to take on Gane.

Tom Aspinall shares his opinion on Alex Pereira's potential heavyweight move

Tom Aspinall wants Alex Pereira to focus on getting his 205-pound belt back from Magomed Ankalaev before thinking about a heavyweight switch.

During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto last week, Aspinall said that Pereira can beat Ankalaev but it won't be easy:

''I've seen the pictures when I'm like staring at him... I don't know, he's got business to do at light heavy. He's just lost his title in a tough fight. I think that Ankalaev remains to be a tough matchup for him. Let's see if he gets through the next one.

"In my opinion, Magomed Ankalaev doesn't get enough respect... It's a tough fight for Alex, definitely a fight Alex can win. We've seen him, how powerful he is, and stuff. I think as far as his move up to heavyweight, I think – I'm only speaking as if I was in his position, I'd want to get that one back first."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below (13:06):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena