Alex Pereira has successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight title for the third time. At UFC 307, Pereira TKOed title challenger Khalil Rountree in the fourth round to defend his championship reign. His performance impressed a lot of experts, including Kamaru Usman, who believes Pereira tops Islam Makhachev in pound-for-pound rankings.
Islam Makhachev and Pereira are two of the most dominant champions in recent history. They have been closely competing for the top spot in the P4P rankings for some time. Before the bout, Pereira was ranked second in the pound-for-pound rankings, just ahead of Jon Jones and behind Makhachev. However, Usman believes that with this victory, ‘Poatan’ has successfully elevated himself above the Dagestani.
I love Islam… I think Islam of course has more tools in the shed. But for what you have to work with, Alex Pereira I believe is the pound-for-pound [#1]
Kamaru Usman via Pound 4 Pound Podcast
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo was also on the podcast and didn’t waste time to refute Usman’s claims. Cejudo did give Pereira his credit but wasn’t sure about his overall skill set in comparison to the lightweight king. According to Triple C, Pereira is still to be tested against a high-level grappler like Magomed Ankalaev.
Kamaru Usman says Alex Pereira is the new pound-for-pound king, but Henry Cejudo disagrees:
“I love Islam… I think Islam of course has more tools in the shed. But for what you have to work with, Alex Pereira I believe is the pound-for-pound [#1].”
🎥 @pound4poundshow #UFC… pic.twitter.com/9tncZNBZqn
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 7, 2024
At UFC 307, Pereira fought for the third time in 2025, beating Makhachev when it comes to activity and finishing rate. However, when it comes to the caliber of opponents, Makhachev has destroyed former pound-for-pound aces like Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira. The debate around the topic is at an all-time high; however, nobody is unimpressed by Pereira’s latest performance.
Alex Pereira was close to pulling out of UFC 307
UFC 307 was a difficult night for Alex Pereira. Challenger Khalil Rountree pushed the Brazilian to his limits and had him struggle hard for victory. Rountree’s striking was highly efficient in the early rounds, but Pereira eventually caught up. By the fourth round, the tables had turned as Pereira systematically demolished the American.
In the post-fight presser, Pereira confirmed that it was a challenging fight given the troubles he had during the fight camp. The fighter talked about getting injured, falling ill, etc. UFC veteran Daniel Cormier also mentioned that Pereira’s team was thinking about quitting the fight camp.
I was talking to his manager and his coach after the fight and they said they told the UFC, ‘We’re gonna go to Salt Lake. We’re gonna try to train, but we may pull out’…The UFC said to him, ‘That would suck but…we have two title fights, we’ll elevate one if that’s what we need to do’. Dude, he fight. The good will you gain from the organization when you do that is unbelievable.
Daniel Cormier via Good Guy / Bad Guy Show
With the victory, Pereira has received unprecedented praise from fight fans, propelling him into the GOAT conversation. At 37 years old, Pereira is still in his prime and appears unstoppable. While the fighter is looking forward to taking a vacation, it will be intriguing to watch what unfolds next for the Brazilian.
