Dricus du Plessis: Alex Pereira is "The Greatest Combat Athlete Ever"

Alex Pereira, a former two-division UFC champion, is set to pursue a title in a third weight class. He will face Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of UFC White House on June 14.

Known as "Poatan," Pereira vacated his light heavyweight belt to ascend to the heavyweight division, aiming to make history at UFC Freedom 250. Achieving a title in three different weight categories would be an unprecedented feat within the promotion.

Dricus du Plessis, a former UFC middleweight champion, lauded Pereira, stating, "Alex Pereira is simply one of the greatest. I've maintained this for a long time; he is, in my opinion, the greatest combat athlete to have ever lived."

Du Plessis clarified his stance: "While Jon Jones is undeniably the UFC's GOAT, I'm referring to excellence across all combat sports. What Pereira has accomplished — his remarkable career in kickboxing, his rapid ascent in the UFC, and now his pursuit of a third championship — is truly unparalleled."

Expressing confidence in Pereira, du Plessis added, "I predict he will win this fight. I'm fully behind Alex Pereira; I hope and believe he'll secure the victory. He looks incredibly strong and substantial, certainly not undersized against Gane."

Headlining the June 14 event, lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje are set to unify the 155-pound title.

The UFC White House fight card is also anticipated to feature these bouts:

• A bantamweight clash featuring former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley against Aiemann Zahabi.
• A lightweight encounter between Maurício Ruffy and Michael Chandler, a former three-time Bellator Lightweight World Champion and ex-UFC lightweight title challenger.
• A middleweight showdown pitting Bo Nickal against Kyle Daukaus.
• A featherweight contest where former title challenger Diego Lopes takes on Steve Garcia.