Why Alex Pereira's heavyweight debut has to be against Jon Jones: Dustin Poirier dons UFC matchmaker's hat to explain

Dustin Poirier recently shared his thoughts on a potential Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira heavyweight fight. 'The Diamond' advocated booking Pereira against Jones and called the potential champion vs. champion matchup a "blockbuster" fight.

Pereira beat Jiri Prochazka via a statement second-round knockout at UFC 303 last month, and it didn't take long for fans to begin speculating a potential heavyweight move for the Brazilian. While Pereira and Jones have flirted with the idea of facing each other, the UFC hasn't shown much interest in booking it.

Nevertheless, Poirier is keen to see Pereira going up against Jones. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the Louisiana native broke down a potential Jones-Pereira fight. When asked if he thought 'Poatan' could beat Jones, he replied:

"I don't know, Jones has never been knocked out... [When asked about a potential Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight] I don't want to see that, though... Aspinall's legit. He's interim world champion, he's beat some good guys but he doesn't have the aura that Alex and Jones have."

When Helwani asked if Poirier would book Jones against Pereira next instead of Stipe Miocic, 'The Diamond' replied:

"I would. Yeah. It's bigger. It's a blockbuster fight, bro... The UFC's done some crazy stuff."

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When Jon Jones teased a potential fight against Alex Pereira instead of Tom Aspinall

Earlier this year, Jon Jones traded some shots with Tom Aspinall on social media after being irked by the Englishman's consistent calls for a title unification fight. Jones was adamant about fighting Stipe Miocic next and dismissed Aspinall as a legit threat to his reign as heavyweight champion.

During their back-and-forth, Jones addressed fan speculations surrounding a potential Alex Pereira fight and stated that he could see that bout happening. Detailing the impact it would have on his legacy, Jones took to X and wrote:

"You actually think me fighting Tom would be more massive than Alex and I colliding? Tom only matters in the UK, newsflash. Pereira is one of the most polarizing figures this sport has seen. Tom's a contender who won a belt against another contender. We had to save Madison Square Garden main event. I’m thinking dollar signs, legacy, big picture here. Not what UK fans are dying to see. Literally just went through this with the French fans."