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Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka were initially set to co-headline UFC 295. However, with the pay-per-view now a week away, the pair have been promoted to the main event slot after a pectoral tear caused Jon Jones to withdraw from his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic.
Pereira and Procházka will compete for the vacant light heavyweight title, which Jones once held. The bout marks the Brazilian's first crack at capturing a second championship in a different division, which is a rarity in the UFC. He previously had a short reign as the middleweight champion.
It was defined by his rivalry with Israel Adesanya, who has gone on record claiming that after finally scoring a win over Alex Pereira at UFC 287, he has no interest in a trilogy barring one condition: that 'Poatan' capture the light heavyweight title. So, if Pereira wins next Saturday, is a trilogy bout possible?
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Unfortunately, things have changed since then. Israel Adesanya is no longer the UFC middleweight champion, having lost his title to Sean Strickland in a historic upset. Furthermore, 'The Last Stylebender' has since embarked on what he claimed will be a long hiatus from MMA, citing a need to look after himself.
Thus, it appears that fans will have to wait for a trilogy bout between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya to materialize.
Alex Pereira, Jiří Procházka, and the mess at light heavyweight
With Adesanya unlikely to be Pereira's next challenger in the event that the Brazilian beats Jiří Procházka, who could be? Unfortunately, a glimpse of the UFC light heavyweight rankings reveals a lack of compelling contenders. Jamahal Hill is still listed as the division's champion, despite vacating the belt back in July.
The top three consists of Alex Pereira, Jiří Procházka, and Magomed Ankalaev. 'Poatan' and 'Denisa' are already booked to fight for the vacant title. Meanwhile, Ankalaev has not won a fight since 2022, having recently taken part in a no-contest against Johnny Walker after kneeing him illegally.
Before that, he had fought Jan Błachowicz to a controversial draw. He cannot earn a title shot off of a no-contest and draw. Meanwhile, the fighters below him are Jan Błachowicz himself and Aleksandar Rakić. The Polish power-puncher is currently 1-1-1 in his last three fights, having just lost to 'Poatan' in his previous fight.
Conversely, Rakić has not fought since May 14, 2022, when he lost via TKO due to a leg injury in a bout against Błachowicz. That is the current state of the light heavyweight top five. So if Pereira manages to beat Procházka to become champion, the UFC has no choice but to book a title eliminator.
