Dana White says Alex Pereira could become No. 1 pound-for-pound after UFC 313

UFC CEO Dana White is giving Alex Pereira the full promotional push ahead of Saturday’s UFC 313 title fight vs. Magomed Ankalaev.

With Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) set to attempt his fourth title defense in 11 months, the Brazilian has turned into one of the UFC’s most significant stars. Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC), however, is confident he will derail “Poatan” to capture gold when they meet in the headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+).

White has been one of many in awe of Pereira’s quick success and rise to stardom. Ankalaev, who is riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak, is arguably the most difficult matchup he’s faced, though, and White agrees the Russian is a daunting task for the champ.

“He’s one of the biggest stars in the sport right now, if not the biggest star in the sport,” White said Wednesday on ESPN’s First Take. “What makes this weekend so great is Ankalaev is a very serious threat to him. It’s probably the toughest fight he’s ever had. His team always talks about his takedown defense and that the fans don’t really know how good it is. We’re going to find out how good it is this weekend.”

If Pereira manages to emerge victorious, White said he would have to reevaluate his personal pound-for-pound list, which most recently had Islam Makhachev at No. 1 and Jon Jones No. 2.

“This is a tough fight for Alex,” White said. “Alex comes out of this the way he’s come out of every other fight? He might be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

White shared nothing but positive perspective about his business relationship with Pereira and his in-cage accomplishments during his less than four-year tenure with the UFC.

At 37, there are legitimate questions about how long Pereira can keep this degree of greatness. That remains to be seen, but White said he is certainly maximizing his current window, which is something the UFC boss has endlessly emphasized throughout his history as a promoter.

“Alex is that guy for us right now,” White said. “The thing that people love about Alex is obviously his fighting style. He tries to knock your head off. People love that. This guy was on vacation in Australia, and a fight fell out and we needed him – he literally left vacation and came and fought. This guy will literally fight anybody, anywhere, any time.

“He comes in, and he’s pure violence, tries to knock you out. He doesn’t duck anybody. He has moved up a weight class and is willing to move up to heavyweight and fight whoever.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.