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Before Alex Pereira conquered the UFC light heavyweight division, he had climbed to the peak at middleweight, dethroning Israel Adesanya as champion. Unfortunately, his reign was short-lived, as he dropped the title to Adesanya in an immediate rematch.
Despite his insistence on returning to 185 pounds, the division was suboptimal for Pereira. His large frame, fit for even heavyweight bouts, caused his middleweight cuts to be a point of diminishing returns. His physicality and toughness simply don't compare to his light-heavyweight form.
Moreover, middleweight also has more difficult stylistic matchups for Pereira than light heavyweight. So, given the draining effect of the large weight cut and the more rounded skill set at middleweight, there are matchups, past and present, that could prove troublesome for him.
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#5. Alex Pereira vs. Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker is a former UFC middleweight champion and one of the most well-rounded 185-pounders of all time. He is a skilled striker and an underrated wrestler with a bottomless gas tank. If he were to face Alex Pereira at middleweight, he could use his varied skill set to win rounds reliably.
He could contend with Pereira in the standup department, using his bouncing, bladed stance to play with the range and stutter-step into combinations. Once engagements grow in danger, he can duck under a Pereira swing with a takedown. Unfortunately, Whittaker lacks the ability to control foes on the mat.
Moreover, his tendency to lunge into range against taller opponents leaves him open to getting countered, which would be disastrous against an elite striker with nuclear punching power like Pereira. Lastly, Whittaker lacks the power to seriously hurt even a drained Pereira, as he has just six stoppages in 17 UFC fights.
#4. Alex Pereira vs. Derek Brunson
While Derek Brunson never managed to forge himself into a true title contender, he was a longtime litmus test at middleweight. To be a champion, one had to be able to beat Brunson. Those who failed never broke into the upper echelon of the division. So, how would he have fared against Alex Pereira?
Brunson, who is now a PFL fighter, was a strong wrestler with a great deal of physicality, tenacity, speed and explosiveness. Furthermore, he was blessed with heavy hands and knew how to use them. He could, if approaching the fight with the right gameplan, outwrestle Pereira, who remains a subpar grappler.
After all, if Israel Adesanya can outwrestle him, who can't? However, the issue with Brunson is that he tends to fade quickly, even in round two. Additionally, his takedown entries can get sloppy, and he often lunges into striking exchanges with his chin so high that he's almost staring at the ceiling. It's a recipe for disaster.
#3. Alex Pereira vs. Luke Rockhold
The formula for beating Alex Pereira is high-level wrestling and grappling. Barring a striker of Israel Adesanya's caliber, facing 'Poatan' on the feet is far too risky. Enter Luke Rockhold, a former UFC middleweight champion who once seemed poised to dominate the division for years to come.
While that never happened, Rockhold's skill set was one that could have troubled Pereira greatly. Rockhold was a large middleweight with punishing kicks and leg dexterity. He was physical and one of the greatest grapplers in 185-pound history. Unfortunately, he lacked the takedown game to consistently ground his foes.
Worse for him, his lack of defensive striking led to a spree of knockout losses. If he manages to ground Pereira, there's virtually no chance 'Poatan' survives, as even the likes of Chris Weidman, a high-level grappler himself, can attest to.
#2. Alex Pereira vs. Chael Sonnen
Three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen is, to some extent, an overachiever. It was through the power of his trash talk that he earned the title opportunities he had. Unfortunately, he never captured championship gold and that has led to many in the MMA world overlooking his skills.
Sonnen, however, would have been a terrible matchup for Pereira. He was a very high-level wrestler, an NCAA Division I All-American, in fact. Pereira would have been thoroughly helpless in trying to stop Sonnen's takedowns. Furthermore, 'The American Gangster' had cardio for days.
He could outwork Pereira by shooting for takedowns repeatedly. While his striking was nothing to marvel at, especially due to his lack of punching power, Sonnen would have posed a serious problem for Pereira.
#1. Alex Pereira vs. Chris Weidman
At his peak, Chris Weidman was an undefeated wrestler, a two-time NCAA Division I wrestler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with power in both hands and competent striking. Furthermore, he was incredibly tough before his chin collapsed following his brutal TKO loss to Luke Rockhold.
Combined with his size, strength and entries, Weidman would have likely dominated a fighter with poor defensive wrestling like Alex Pereira. To worsen matters for 'Poatan,' Weidman was no lay-and-pray wrestler, he was a submission threat and would possibly submit the light heavyweight kingpin.
While Pereira still does have a chance at beating Weidman due to the latter's cardio issues and how quickly he drops his hands and abandons his head movement upon tiring, Weidman is in a better position to win.
