Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira plans to stay at heavyweight.

Pereira moved up to heavyweight at UFC White House as he took on Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. However, Pereira suffered a knockout loss, as the size and power of Gane proved to be the difference.

After the loss, whether Pereira would stay at heavyweight was unclear, but his coach, Glover Teixeira, said that is the plan.

“He’s going to stay at heavyweight; that’s the plan,” Teixeira said to Ariel Helwani. … “He wants to fight all the time, but it’s good to take time, he fought back-to-back for so long. He wants to fight. Alex always wants to fight.”

Alex Pereira could face Josh Hokit next

Once Pereira is ready to return, Teixeira isn’t sure who will be next for him. The goal is to get back to a heavyweight title shot, so Teixeira believes Josh Hokit could be a logical opponent.

“The plan with them, because Alex is a huge name and an exciting fighter to watch, and he sells. Some fight they will put him right back into the title. For him, pretty much any fight. Maybe we get this fight (Josh Hokit). He’s talking a lot of shit. Go over there and knock his ass out and get back to the top, and then get the rematch,” Teixeira said.

Whether or not the UFC has any interest in that fight is unclear. But, on paper, it does make sense, as the winner would likely get a title shot, which is what this fight would do. And, Hokit has been talking trash about Pereira, so the storyline is there to be a co-main event of a numbered card.

Pereira is 13-4 as a pro and is coming off a TKO loss to Gane. He’s 10-3 in the UFC and the former middleweight & light heavyweight champion.

Would you like to see Alex Pereira face Josh Hokit next?

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