Alex Pereira Nears 250 lbs Ahead of Heavyweight Debut

Alex Pereira appears more imposing than ever as he prepares to chase yet another record.

The fighter, known as "Poatan," is set to face Ciryl Gane at UFC White House on June 14th. In this bout, Pereira will attempt to claim the interim heavyweight title, aiming to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold belts in three different divisions. Having triumphed at 185 lbs (middleweight) and 205 lbs (light heavyweight), he is now moving up in weight for this new challenge. According to a video he posted on Instagram, his current weight is close to 250 lbs (113 kg).

While the scale reading in the video isn't perfectly clear, Pereira unequivocally states in the accompanying text: "247 lbs (111 kg). Chama."

This weight gain is hardly a surprise to fans who have followed Pereira's career over the years. He has always appeared significantly heavier than 200 lbs, even when competing at middleweight. In fact, last June, between his light heavyweight championship fights with Magomed Ankalaev, Pereira reached a weight of 244 lbs (110.6 kg). However, he subsequently cut down to 205 lbs (93 kg) in October to avenge his loss against Ankalaev and become a two-time champion in that division.

This time, Pereira might maintain the extra pounds and even add more mass before the historic event in June. Should he defeat Gane, it could set up a future unification bout with undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.