Former Two-Division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier Questions Alex Pereira’s Credentials In Potential Heavyweight Move

Former two-division UFC king Daniel Cormier has questioned whether Alex Pereira could compete up at heavyweight. ‘Poatan’ lost his UFC Light-Heavyweight Title at UFC 313 to Magomed Ankalaev, with Cormier questioning one key attribute ahead of possible heavyweight move.

Daniel Cormier Questions Alex Pereira’s Heavyweight Credentials

Alex Pereira lost for the first time at 205-pounds in the UFC, losing his UFC Light-Heavyweight Title to Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 313 main event at the T-Mobile Arena.

There had been talk prior to Pereira’s fight with Ankalaev over a potential move up to heavyweight for the Brazilian, with a super-fight against Jon Jones having been mentioned on more than one occasion.

However, Pereira’s possible move to heavyweight seems even more unlikely now following defeat to Magomed Ankalev at UFC 313. Having been beaten by the #1 ranked 205-pound contender, Pereira will now have to rematch the Dagestani fighter if he wants to win back the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title.

Either that or just move up to heavyweight anyway. However, some big names and respected voices in MMA circles have questioned whether Alex Pereira could compete with the UFC’s best heavyweights. One of those people is former duel-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier.

Cormier famously won both the light-heavyweight and heavyweight UFC Titles in his career, despite being just 5ft 11in. Pereira is of course 6ft 4in, but Cormier has his doubts over whether ‘Poatan’ could compete up at heavyweight.

In fact, Daniel Cormier has come to the decision that he doesn’t believe Alex Pereira is anywhere near ‘strong enough’ to compete with the best heavyweights in the world such as Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Daniel Cormier: Alex Pereira Isn’t ‘Strong Enough’ To Compete At Heavyweight

As a retired MMA fighter and highly respected figure in UFC circles, Daniel Cormier is now one of the best colour commentators and pundits for the UFC. Cormier was on comms at UFC 313, where we witnessed Alex Pereira lose to Magomed Ankalev for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title.

In the aftermath of the fight and having watched ‘Poatan’ up close, the UFC Hall of Famer has huge doubts over whether the Brazilian could ever compete up at heavyweight in the UFC.

The former two-division UFC champion revealed on the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast that he has a lot of questions about Pereira’s strength and just how he would cope against far heavier guys like Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones:

“Watching him [Pereira] and Ankalaev fight, it gives me the idea. I think he’s kind of maxed out the weight he can go up. I don’t think he’s strong enough to go with anyone bigger.

“The amount of pressure that Ankalaev was able to generate without the danger coming back at him like we expected, those heavyweights would just walk right through what he was throwing at him.”

It is evident that Daniel Cormier isn’t full of confidence that Alex Pereira could do a job up at heavyweight. ‘DC’ of course won the UFC Heavyweight Title despite being just 5ft 11in, but he was super strong. Something he feels ‘Poatan’ lacks.