Alex Pereira Wants To Duel Boxing With Oleksandr Usyk

Alex Pereira is very open to boxing against Oleksandr Usyk (Instagram/@alexpoatan Pereira).

JAKARTA Light heavyweight champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) from Brazil, Alex Pereira, wants to fight against the heavyweight king of Ukraine, Oleksandr Usyk.

The 37-year-old mixed martial arts athlete hopes that the UFC agrees with the idea of the duel in the near future. Pereira has wanted that fight for a long time.

"That's the game I want. He also wants it. Both organizations, boxing and UFC, are now working together. So, I'm sure this fight can happen," Pereira was quoted as saying by MMA Fighting.

Usyk, who controlled the heavyweight belt and was once the undisputed world champion, recently also expressed his intention to undergo a boxing duel in the title of the show against the UFC champion.

Pereira said that he was very open to the idea of the clash even though he had a UFC fight schedule next month to defend a lightweight heavyweight title.

"If asked against whom, because I am a champion, then I say I have to fight a champion. He (Usyk) is a champion. He also mentioned my name in the interview," Pereira said.

Pereira is scheduled to defend her UFC lightweight heavyweight belt against Magomed Ankalaev in the main UFC 313 event on March 8, 2025.

The fighter nicknamed Poatan has seen a rapid increase in the UFC. He was recorded to have won two belts with a total of seven knockout wins in nine appearances in the octagon.

Pereira defended the title after defeating Khalil Rountree, Jiri Prochazka, and Jamahal Hill in 2024.

On the other hand, Usyk has a 23-0 win-loss record with 14 knockouts while on the professional boxing stage. He also just made history in 2024 with a straight win over great boxer Tyson Fury

38-year-old Usyk has beaten big names, such as Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, and Derek Chisora.