MIAMI – UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira won’t consider Khamzat Chimaev as a potential next challenger. Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), who plans on competing at middleweight next, expressed interest in fighting Pereira at UFC 283, just two months after “Poatan” dethroned Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in November. Pereira (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) rematches Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 287 main event at Kaseya Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. If he gets past Adesanya again, he’s not interested in having his second title defense against Chimaev. “This week, I’m obviously focused on Israel, but talk about (Robert) Whittaker and Paulo Costa,” Pereira told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter during Wednesday’s UFC 287 media day.
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Alex Pereira dismisses ‘lost’ Khamzat Chimaev as next title challenger after UFC 287 – MMA Junkie