Turki Alalshikh and TKO Group Holdings announced a multi-year partnership on Tuesday to establish a new boxing promotion, with executive leadership anchored by UFC President and CEO Dana White and WWE President and TKO Board Member Nick Khan.
The union will have a seismic impact on the combat sports scene moving forward.Hours after the development was revealed, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira threw his name in the ring to face The Ring, WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in a boxing match.”Absolutely, I was hyped, I was happy when I heard the news [of the new promotion],” Pereira said Tuesday during his media day ahead of his UFC 313 main event fight Saturday against Magomed Ankalaev at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”Who knows [if the fight could happen.] September.
Saudi Arabia. Chama.”I think I was the one to show interest first [in the Usyk fight]. Then Usyk said he would like to fight, too. He also showed interest. So now we’re both interested in the fight. I think it just comes down to the organization to show interest too and make this fight happen.”I don’t know [if it will be bigger than the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight in 2017]. I cannot tell yet. We know the level of popularity that both of those guys have. I think [it will be] a little step behind … Let’s see how it goes.”Pereira has previously expressed his desire to face Usyk in a crossover clash.”Maybe a show fight with Alex Pereira.
Maybe. Why not? Alex wants to,” Usyk told TNT Sports last month after “Poatan” first proclaimed that he’d be keen on the potential pitting.Pereira – a former middleweight and light heavyweight champion with GLORY Kickboxing who tallied a 33-7 record (21 KOs) in the sport – has taken the UFC by storm since joining the MMA promotion in 2021. The 37-year-old Brazilian became the UFC middleweight champion in 2022 by knocking out Israel Adesanya and the light heavyweight champion in 2023 by knocking out Jiri Prochazka.Pereira is 9-1 in the UFC and 12-2 in MMA overall with additional wins against the likes of Sean Strickland, Jan Blachowicz, Jamahal Hill, and most recently in October, Khalil Rountree Jr.“I believe so [that I’m the biggest star and face of the UFC],” said Pereira.
“I had a busy year last year with a lot of success. I have to keep doing the work, and I have to believe so.”Pereira has one professional boxing match under his belt. In 2017, he scored a third-round TKO win in Brazil. He reportedly also has an amateur record of 25 wins (25 KOs) and three losses.Pereira currently competes at 205 pounds in the UFC and is looking to land a super fight against UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones for a chance to become the first-ever three-division champion in the UFC.