Dana White says Alex Pereira would jump over Jon Jones as the greatest UFC fighter of all time with a win over Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, a statement that marks a significant shift from his long-standing position on Jones.
White made the comments to Forbes ahead of the June 14 interim heavyweight title fight at the White House.
“You’ve got Pereira possibly winning his third world title. If he wins the third world title that night, he jumps over Jon Jones and becomes the greatest of all-time.”
Pereira entered the UFC in 2021, won the middleweight title by beating Israel Adesanya, rebuilt after losing the rematch, then moved to light heavyweight and captured another championship over Jiri Prochazka. A victory over Gane would make him the first fighter in UFC history to hold belts in three divisions.
Pereira himself declined to claim the GOAT status when asked by Forbes, pushing the conversation back toward the work in front of him.
“I’ll never say that, because everyone has their own opinion. I’m not gonna keep exposing myself and talking about it. I’m gonna do my job. If people think I’m the best, if they think I’m not, it’s okay. I’ll be doing my job, making my money, changing my life.”
On what a third title would mean, he kept it brief.
“Three division champion, breaking a lot of records.”
Gane is a former interim heavyweight champion and has warned he may use wrestling and takedowns against Pereira.