5 Best Opponents for Alex Pereira After UFC 295 Win

Alex Pereira just keeps making history.

Just shy of four years after he became a two-division kickboxing champion in the Glory ring, he became a two-division MMA champion in the UFC's Octagon.

Pereira got his first taste of UFC gold last year, when he knocked out Israel Adesanya to claim the middleweight belt. He later lost that title in a rematch with Adesanya, but in the main event of Saturday's UFC 295 card in New York City, he claimed the promotion's vacant light heavyweight title with a second-round knockout win over former champ Jiri Prochazka.

"It's a great honour for me, especially being here in Madison Square Garden," he said in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

With the light heavyweight title slung over his shoulder, Pereira is not only one of the sport's best fighters, but one of its biggest stars.

The big question from here is who he fights next.

As it turns out, there are quite a few options, and it may simply come down to who's available at the right time.

Keep scrolling for five fights we think make sense for the new light heavyweight champ.

A Rematch with Jiri Prochazka

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Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka face off before their fight.

While Pereira's title-winning knockout of Prochazka was extremely impressive, it was not without controversy.

Many onlookers felt referee Marc Goddard intervened a little early, given that Prochazka seemed to regained his composure almost immediately after the stoppage. That includes commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.

"It's a little early," Rogan said just before Pereira was officially crowned the new light heavyweight champion. "I'm not satisfied with that stoppage."

The dubious nature of Pereira's knockout over Prochazka could certainly lead to an immediate rematch between the pair. This possibility is made more likely by the fact that they seem to be two of the most popular fighters in the division, meaning a sequel would generate quite a bit of interest.

However, Prochazka didn't seem to bothered by the stoppage in the immediate aftermath, and doesn't seem like the type to start making demands for an immediate rematch.

In fact, he even admitted to being knocked out in the finishing sequence.

"I was out," he told Rogan in his post-fight interview. "[Expletive] happens. Doesn't matter."

Jamahal Hill

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Jamahal Hill

If a Pereira-Prochazka rematch isn't next, Jamahal Hill is the obvious next man in line for a light heavyweight title shot.

The Michigan-born 32-year-old had a very brief reign as champion earlier this year, but was forced to vacate the title with a ruptured Achilles soon after he won it with a decision over Glover Teixeira.

It makes sense to give Hill an opportunity to reclaim the title because he never actually lost it. It's the same exact opportunity Prochazka was afforded in the UFC 295 main event, having relinquished the belt with an injury soon after he won it with a victory over Teixeira in 2022. The two light heavyweights have gone through almost identical circumstances, so it would be out of line to give one the opportunity and not the other.

The good news is that Hill seems to have been promised the chance to reclaim his belt.

"I was guaranteed when I come back, I will be given the title fight," the former champion told MMA Fighting ahead of UFC 295. "[I will receive] the same champion purse and pay-per-view points."

The only hurdle when it comes to making this fight is the timing. Hill is still recovering from his injury and may need a bit more rest. If Pereira wants to stay active, he may look to defend the belt against another challenger while Hill continues to mend.

Thankfully, there are a few other options in that event.

Magomed Ankalaev or Johnny Walker

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 21: (L-R) Johnny Walker of Brazil and Magomed Ankalaev of Russia react after the stoppage of their light heavyweight fight due to an unintentional foul during the UFC 294 event at Etihad Arena on October 21, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Top 10 light heavyweights Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev met in the Octagon at UFC 294 last month. Walker was on a three-fight streak at the time, while Ankalaev was unbeaten in his last 10 fights. The winner of their fight would have been in great position for a title shot, but unfortunately, it ended in disaster when Walker was ruled out of the fight after eating an illegal knee.

The UFC hasn't yet committed to a Walker vs. Ankalaev rematch, but it seems like the best option for either fighter after their no-contest, and there's now some legitimate bad blood between them that needs settling.

"I'm going to catch him again, God willing, as soon as possible," Walker told Brazilian MMA news outlet AG Fight recently (via Bloody Elbow). "We've been negotiating to see if I can return and rematch him. I'm sure I'm going to send that guy to the moon. There will be no talking with that guy. I'm going to mess him up, I'm going to tear through him and erase him from history, because he's a dirty guy. I'm going to mess him up good."

Assuming act two of their rivalry happens soon, and doesn't end inconclusively, the winner would be right behind Jamahal Hill in the race for the next title shot.

Aleksandar Rakic

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 14: (R-L) Aleksandar Rakic of Austria kicks Jan Blachowicz of Poland in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 14, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Austria's Aleksandar Rakic had a pretty rough 2022. In May, he stepped into the Octagon with former light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz, only to suffer an early leg injury that ended up keeping him out action for the rest of that year and all of 2023 so far.

Despite what has turned out to be a serious speed bump in his career, Rakic remains one of the UFC's premier light heavyweights. He has a 6-2 record in the division, which includes wins over former title challengers in Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos, as well as a stunning head-kick knockout over former contender Jimi Manuwa.

Speaking on a recent episode of the MMA Hour, veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani revealed that a rematch between Rakic and Blachowicz is in the work for UFC 297, set for January 20 in Toronto.

If that rematch goes ahead, and Rakic manages to defeat Blachowicz the second time around, he will rocket up the light heavyweight ranks, and could even find himself in a title fight if the likes of Hill, Ankalaev and Walker turn out to be unavailable.

Israel Adesanya

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Israel Adesanya (left) squares of with Alex Pereira

There are a lot of light heavyweights Alex Pereira could have called out in his UFC 295 post-fight interview. Rather than call out any of the many contenders awaiting a title shot, however, he called out the chief rival of his combat sports career: Israel Adesanya.

Pereira has beaten Adesanya twice under kickboxing rules, and once in the UFC. In their most recent meeting, however, Adesanya evened the score with a win of his own.

After suffering a shock loss to Sean Strickland in his last fight, Adesanya vowed to take some time away from the sport.

In his post-fight interview at UFC 295, Pereira encouraged his rival to rethink that decision.

"I'm not the type of that calls people out," he said, noting how his rivalry with Adesanya once motivated him to push through adversity. "Adesanya, come to daddy."

Adesanya seems pretty set on a hiatus, but there's a chance Pereira's title win at light heavyweight may be enough to lure him back. The Nigerian-born New Zealander lost his only previous bid for the light heavyweight title, suffering a decision defeat against Jan Blachowicz in early 2021. Now that his chief rival holds the title, however, he's in prime position for another opportunity if he decides he wants it.