Alex Pereira Vs. Jon Jones – How Does It Play Out?

Matt Brown has warned Alex Pereira over his plan to move up to heavyweight and challenge Jon Jones, as we look at how a fight could play out.

Brown believes that Pereira’s striking is no match for Jones’s all-round game, stating that Pereira “won’t ever be ready for Jones’ wrestling.” Brown’s warning comes in the wake of Pereira’s first-round TKO finish over Magomed Ankalaev in their UFC 320 rematch, as he reclaimed his light heavyweight belt. Following the win, Pereira expressed his intent to challenge “Bones.” Jones is keen on fighting at the UFC White House card next June after ‘reversing his retirement.’ If Dana White allows Jones on the card, Alex wants that fight, but Brown feels it is not the best move for Alex.

Brown Reacts

“I want the competitive fight. That goes exactly right into what I was saying. Do we want entertainment? What Alex and Jon is going to do is it’s going to have a ridiculous buildup. Where everybody’s going to be pumped. There’s going to be people betting on Alex, there’s going to be people just like Conor [McGregor] going and fighting Floyd [Mayweather] — like oh yeah, Conor’s got a chance!

“I think Alex has a better chance than Conor did against Floyd, by the way, but you get my point.“The matchup is literally the nightmare matchup for Alex Pereira. Jon is as big, probably a little bit bigger than Alex Pereira. At heavyweight, certainly bigger. A million times better wrestler. There’s no way in hell that Alex has wrestling at Jon Jones’ level at this point. Even if Jon Jones is out doing cocaine for the last year and then just shows up and fights,” Brown said

The Approach

For Pereira, the path to victory is to create enough space to land his power shots. Pereira’s goal is to keep Jones at striking distance, using his low kicks to slow Jones’ lateral movement and his feints to set up his famed left hook or right cross. If Jones succeeds in closing the distance, Pereira’s defense must be absolute, utilizing the clinch and knees to deter the takedown, while constantly working to reverse position off the fence or execute a quick escape back to open space. 

Jones’ strategy would be clear and almost entirely focused on neutralizing Pereira’s knockout power. Jones would likely use his superior size, reach, and elite wrestling to close the distance immediately and pin Pereira against the cage. For example, Jones would not engage in striking at distance but would prioritize the clinch and takedowns, focusing on tiring Pereira’s legs and shoulders. Once grounded, Jones is masterful at maintaining top control.