Alex Pereira teases his UFC return timeline 

Alex Pereira is back in Brazil, recuperating his body and refining his skills for a potential return. The former UFC light heavyweight champion isn’t rushing to make an octagon return.

After a run of high-stakes fights with little downtime, he has taken a step back to rest, spend time with family, and get his body right. The UFC seemingly wanted Pereira to fight at International Fight Week in July, but he turned that down.

He felt the need to fully recover after staying consistently active through his rise. ‘Poatan‘ hinted that October is a realistic target for his comeback during a recent interview with ‘The Schmo’. He said:

“Well, right now, I took some time to recover my body, to heal. Go to Brazil right now to get a little big, spend some time with my family. We are in talks with the UFC… Maybe something in October.”

Check out Alex Pereira‘s comments below (2:30):

Pereira remains locked in on reclaiming the light heavyweight belt he lost to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Despite some fans calling for a heavyweight move, Pereira is staying put for now. He believes he knows the adjustments he needs to make to beat Ankalaev.

Khalil Rountree Jr. believes the loss to Alex Pereira toughened him up

Khalil Rountree Jr. acknowledged that a rematch with Pereira would be exciting. However, he made it clear that his goal is to become champion, regardless of who holds the belt.

Rountree’s fight with Pereira at UFC 307 was the biggest of his career. Though he didn’t win the title, he says the experience changed him. He framed his fight gear as a reminder of how far he pushed himself that night.

Speaking in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Rountree said:

“I really don’t care who the champion is until it’s me. I think that would be a great fight [Pereira vs. Rountree]. I’m sure people would want to see a second fight between us for the belt again. That would be exciting, but it’s nothing that I’m hoping for. Whoever has it, I’m doing whatever I can to prepare to fight whoever has it.”

He added:

“That fight with Pereira was a big one for me. It was my first time fighting for a belt, and I knew I gave my all in that fight. Even though I didn’t get the result, I think I got other results. I grew from that fight. I wanted to frame my gear from that fight as a memory, something I could pass on. I saw how far I was willing to go. I was really tested to the very end, and I enjoyed it all the way through.”

Check out Khalil Rountree Jr.’s comments below (19:15):