Alex Pereira has been in red-hot form. The light heavyweight kingpin has matched lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC title defenses in just 175 days. However, he needs a vacation to heal up from some nagging injuries. Pereira (12-2) defended his light heavyweight title for the third bout, defeating Khalil Rountree (13-6) in the main event of UFC 307 on Saturday. Pereira surpassed Ronda Rousey’s record of 189 days.
He became the fighter with the shortest time between three consecutive defenses by defeating three opponents in 175 days. In 2018, ‘The Eagle’ defeated Al Laquinta by unanimous decision to claim the lightweight title at UFC 223. His title defenses were intentionally spaced apart, with him fighting once a year after winning the championship. Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 after successfully defending the championship three times. In contrast, ‘Poatan’ has been one of the most active champions in the promotion’s history.
The 37-year-old won the 205-pound title via TKO against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 last year. However, he defended his title three times in 2024, equalling the lightweight legend’s record. Pereira defended his first title at the UFC 300. Then he once again defeated Prochazka at UFC 303. Before claiming a TKO win over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 this past weekend.
Alex Pereira will become the No.1 UFC fighter
Is Alex Pereira’s hot run overhyped or will he surpass the legacy of Khabib Nurmagomedov? It is too early to predict Alex’s legacy as he needs to perform consistently and deliver in an important time to defend his title every time. For an athlete, it is never easy to keep on the same form. There will be ups and downs in his life. However, the way he will come back will be more important.
After the win, Pereira went on to describe his arduous program, which was plagued by a variety of challenges. Aside from the difficulty in obtaining a visa, the light heavyweight champion battled a severe fever and many recurring injuries in the run-up to the major event. This unique achievement of Alex has re-ignited fans into heated debate.
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