Alex Pereira talks heavyweight, Jamahal Hill, return date, Jake Paul, Steven Seagal and much more

If there's a limit to what Alex Pereira can accomplish in MMA, it has yet to be reached.

2024 isn't even over yet and the crowning of the current UFC light heavyweight champion as the Fighter of the Year feels like a foregone conclusion. Three fights in seven months resulted in three knockout victories for Brazil's Pereira.

To achieve three title defenses in such a span is unheard of in the sport. Hell, fighting that often period has become a lost ability. That number is the UFC record for consecutive title defenses at both lightweight and heavyweight. What's taken multiple fighters their entire careers to do has been nothing but another handful of days at work for "Poatan."

Unsurprisingly, the 37-year-old didn't get through this stretch unscathed. After his latest victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, Pereira revealed a plethora of physical ailments he dealt with. But the champion is feeling better now as he rests and heals. Other than the lingering rib injury, the seemingly superhuman Pereira is just fine.

"Usually, a perfect camp for us is about six weeks because I keep myself in shape," Pereira said through his coach and translator, Plinio Cruz, Thursday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "But because of the visa issues [taking too long] and everything, I was already messed up in Brazil with the infection and got my ribs hurt when I came to America. I got there five weeks before the fight, four and a half weeks. Started training, we have footage we're going to release, I didn't look well. It was really bad.

"I came to [coaches] Plinio Cruz and Glover [Teixeira] and I said, 'Guys, look, I don't know if I can do this fight like this.' They told me, 'Bro, whatever you want.' At the same time, I didn't want to decide right there. I wanted to push through a little bit."

Pereira recalled taking antibiotics for a week before he flew stateside to begin his last training camp. Another week's worth of antibiotics followed in America before fight week. If it wasn't for his stubborn nature and insistence on competing, he admitted a withdrawal from UFC 307 was possible.

The performance was again another telling depiction of the former kickboxer's great legacy. And as great of coaches as Pereira has, he had some now viral "help" in preparation from a surprising name.

"A lot of people talk crap about Steven Seagal but I have a lot of respect for him," Pereira said. "He's a great guy. Of course, I did my push kicks and stuff before that but everybody has a different way to do some techniques and you gotta take a little bit from everybody to make your own. So, he was helpful. He's a very nice guy, seasoned guy. He's a real guy and I have a lot of respect for him."

First Anderson Silva and now Pereira. If you're challenging a Brazilian champion and they're seen around Sensei Seagal, you might as well give up immediately.

All jokes aside, Pereira didn't need that little confidence booster to help put on a memorable highlight against Rountree. It's all the guy does. No matter the opponent in 2024, he's delivered.

Among possible next options is former champion Jamahal Hill, who Pereira finished in Round 1 of their UFC 300 main event clash. That rematch doesn't appear realistic until Hill gets back in the win column, but "Sweet Dreams" has been vocal about it. Hill was even infamously seen doing a yawn taunt after Pereira's UFC 307 win, and has explained how he was unimpressed, both which left the champion confused.

"If that performance with Khalil was s***, where does Jamahal rank in the performance with me against him then?" Pereira said. "If that fight was crap, how can he say that? But I'm going to be honest. I'm not gonna further talk about Jamahal. I'm at a different level.

"I don't have nobody in my mind [next]. The organization came with Khalil last time, and it was a surprise for me too. I don't really choose opponents. Some people say [Magomed] Ankalaev, but I'm going to be honest with you, him and his manager have been talking a lot of crap, saying that, 'Oh, Alex doesn't want to fight,' and this and that.

"The reality is, the organization doesn't want him to fight because he's boring," he added. "People don't like to watch him fight, right? He's not a guy that sells pay-per-views. So honestly, that's disrespectful that they even they try to put the [blame on] me because it's not up to me, it's up to the organization. The organization doesn't want to make the fight. But now, because they keep saying that, keep disrespecting, they're gonna make it a little bit harder for us to fight."

In the boxing world, Pereira's also become a target by none other than influencer extraordinaire Jake Paul. So, that is also something out there, no matter how silly it sounds.

"Of course it's of interest to me, but I'm on a contract to the UFC and I cannot just leave," Pereira said. "I think that's why he calls [me out] and he says all that. I think if the UFC was a league that allows everybody to fight anywhere, I don't think he'd be saying that."

Before Pereira secured title defense No. 3, discussions ramped up regarding a third divisional title pursuit. Therefore, that means a jump up to heavyweight.

However, Pereira himself previously tossed out the idea of going back down to middleweight to reclaim the first UFC strap he wore.

A little bit of break is in well-deserved order for Pereira now, and if another divisional move occurs, he feels "closer" to middleweight than heavyweight. Though despite the impending — and albeit short — time off, the madman wouldn't actually wait if it were up to him.

"My last weight cut was not hard," Pereira said. "For me to go up the way that I feel strong, I'm still the same weight as always, but I think I have a better performance if I feel good when it's time to make the weight cut for middleweight. And plus, it's Sean Strickland's time. Let him have his chance."

"I had a great conversation with the organization. I'm very happy with my future in the organization, and soon we'll be able to get you guys updated about it.

"Ideally, I will fight around June (2025). I'd maybe like to fight around March even. But honestly, if it was up to me, I'd fight in December. The problem is these [past] two fights happened too soon, and we had a lot of other appearances, a lot of trips, a lot of business to do, and we had to push them after these two fights because they were scheduled for before. The guys were organized, they understood, but we have some obligations to do. So, I feel that around March is a good date."

This unprecedented title fight frequency isn't sustainable forever and Pereira knows that. He's already had a full kickboxing career before his full-time dive into MMA, after all.

But it's been a thrilling 14-fight MMA career (12-2) thus far and fans will be along for the ride for however long is left. According to Pereira, he'll know when that time comes per his body's request.

"I don't really know, to be honest," Pereira said of how much longer he'll fight for. "Just like when I was a middleweight, I said when my body tells me I'll go up. Then for this, I'm going to listen to my body. When my body tells me, I'll stop."