Alex Pereira vacates the UFC light heavyweight championship belt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Alex Pereira just gave everyone a hint of his next move in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

On Feb. 28, 2026, the Brazilian MMA superstar shocked the UFC after vacating his light heavyweight belt, as confirmed by President Dana White.

In an Instagram Live video posted on White’s official social media account, the UFC president revealed that Pereira will no longer have another light heavyweight title defense, with Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg now called up to vie for the vacant 205-pound division.

White didn’t give a detailed explanation about Pereira’s decision to vacate the division and only said that he will be supporting his move if it’s for the betterment of the UFC.

However, some critics, including former UFC stars, predicted that Pereira might be facing Jon Jones in a heavyweight showdown for the upcoming White House event.

Last Jan. 18, 2026, both UFC champions traded jabs on social media, with Jones responding to Pereira’s uploaded video.

Pereira posted a sarcastic video from a tire shop, where the text “NEXT — JONES, UFC” was written on a tire beside a huge hammer.

Within an hour, Pereira’s post created buzz and trended across platforms, but the majority of MMA analysts said it was more of a humorous attempt to poke Jones, who is still longing to return despite announcing his retirement from the UFC.

It did not take long for Jones to reply to Pereira’s post, uploading a series of Instagram Stories directed at the former light heavyweight champion.

“I’ve beaten a lot of legends from your country, my friend,” Jones posted.

“I know you’d love to avenge the boys, but boy, would you be a good one to add to my list. Be careful what you wish for.”

Pereira is coming off a convincing revenge win over Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim his light heavyweight belt on Oct. 5, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

On the other hand, Jones has yet to regain UFC President Dana White’s trust after being involved in a series of scandals before retiring from the sport.

Jones was able to redeem himself after Bernalillo County in New Mexico dropped all charges against him, stating that the defendant’s alibi defense was credible.

In retrospect, police reports confirmed that Jones fled the scene of a car crash on Feb. 21, 2025, where a woman was found heavily intoxicated in the passenger seat.